Merlin Advent
by DrusillaSnaps
Summary: Final fic is up! Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Hope you all had an amazing christmas!
1. Chapter 1

_**So I decided to steal the idea that other people had on this site – Merlin Advent! I tried to post Day 1 yesterday, but my net crashed before I could, so I have it here now. I will try my best to get each story up on the right day, but as you know my mate has been sectioned so I've got a lot of running around to do ATM, but I will try my best!**_

_**The theme of the posts centres around the number of the day, but none are related unless otherwise stated!. EG post Two will be called 'Two's company' while three will be called 'Three's a crowd'.**_

--

Day 1 – Alone

--

Merlin knew that it was Gwen that would break the spell that Arthur was under. She was the woman he loved, and she in turn, loved him.

Merlin also knew that they could never be together, not while Uther ruled, for Uther would never allow his son to marry someone as low down in society as a maidservant.

He also knew that, no matter how little of a chance Gwen and Arthur had, he and Arthur had even less.

But it no longer mattered if Merlin loved Arthur more, it didn't matter if he thought they were destined to be together, all that mattered was that to save the life of the man he loved, he would have to give him to another, at least for the time being.

Despite knowing this, Merlin could not bring himself to watch as Gwen kissed Arthur and broke the love spell he was under, for he knew that one day, they would be together.

And he would forever be, alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Day 2 – Twos Company

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Arthur used to enjoy being alone, to have time to himself, to think and reflect on things. He couldn't wait to withdraw to his room so that he might escape everyone else and find some peace at last.

Then _he_ came along.

He was Merlin. At first, Arthur didn't like him. I mean he really didn't like him... for god's sake; the man had thrown a punch at him, and called him a prat!

But then Uther had appointed Merlin to be Arthur's manservant, and then Arthur hated him even more, for, although Merlin had saved his life, he was an incompetent manservant, barely able to keep up with his chores.

After a while however, Arthur began to enjoy spending time with Merlin. His uselessness, however irritating it may be, was far funnier by far. Merlin also had a way of making everything right. Whether it be a problem with a sorcerer or some unknown beast, Merlin always seemed to hold the key to conquering Camelot's foes.

Soon Arthur felt very much alone without Merlin by his side, but this time, alone for him was...well... alone. He hated it! He was bored, with no one to talk to or to entertain him. He longed for first light, when Merlin would wake him with breakfast and a story of complete nonsense, which if Arthur was being honest, was actually very interesting!

And when he and Merlin went off on hunting trips, or to save the damsel in distress, he always tried to draw them out for as long as possible, whether that meant accidently taking the wrong route home.

For Arthur had discovered the joys of company, and never wanted to be alone again.


	3. Chapter 3

Day 3 – Three's a crowd

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As I walked away, I knew that someday I would see Guinevere again. I hoped that by then my feelings for her would have changed, for I cannot allow myself to love her when her heart belongs to another, and while another more noble man loves her. For as much as I care for her, I will not stand in the way of Prince Arthurs chances. My feelings do not matter. Gwen deserves more than I can ever even hope to give her, things which Arthur can and will bestow upon her. And while I knew she would be upset, I also knew that her heart would heal and that one day, she would stand alongside Arthur as his Queen. Maybe then I can see her again. Maybe then, my heart will belong to another. But until then, I will think of Guinevere often, and let her love guide me. For I can never be part of her life until then. Two may be company, but three is a crowd. And I cannot stand by and be the crowd to Arthur and Gwen's love.


	4. Chapter 4

Day 4 – Four corners

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_While you may be gone from this place_

_You will never be gone from my heart_

_And while you may have left in haste_

_I confessed my love, before I let you depart_

_And while those words were never returned_

_I know that you love me too_

_With a passion and intensity that has left you burned_

_Because of what I let my father do to you_

_But when he dies and I am King_

_I will search the world over for you, once and again_

_For this magic he despises, this terrible thing_

_Means nothing to me, my love, my friend_

_So the four corners of the world, I will search_

_Not stopping, for fear of your being_

_And while Camelot, my Kingdom, is left in the lurch_

_All that matters is that it is you I will be seeing_


	5. Chapter 5

Day 5 – Five Gold Rings!

--

Merlin has had many wedding bands during the duration of his marriage to Arthur. Now on his fifth ring, he is beginning to think he is cursed.

His first wedding band was only worn on his finger on his wedding night. He and Arthur married in secret, while on hunting trip. Merlin still remembered the eruption of pleasure he felt as Arthur placed the cold yellow band on his left ring finger. He also remembered the devastation he felt when he removed it on their way home to Camelot the next morning. Still, he had it close to his heart, on a chain around his neck. When times were tough and he was feeling down, he just slipped his hand down his shirt and clasped the ring in his fist for a few short seconds, and in an instant, he felt better. One day however, it wasn't there. The chain, the ring... all of it, had simply gone. Merlin knew he must have gotten it caught on something without releasing and tried to work out when he had last clasped it in his hand, but couldn't. He searched for it for days! But, alas! It was not to be found. And so Merlin had a second, identical, one made, and hoped desperately that Arthur would never notice.

His second wedding band too, was only worn for one night. The night Arthur was crowned King. It was then that he could freely wear the wedding band that showed he was married to the King of Camelot. His pride and bliss at being able to wear it however, was soon diminished, when he realised he had lost weight since the band was made. It was loose, and kept slipping. Merlin tried all night to keep it on his finger, but the wine was flowing ever free and he and Arthur were celebrating! In the morning it was gone, and again, the ring was not to be found. And so a third, identical band was made. Arthur caught Merlin paying for it this time, but Merlin managed to convince his lover it was just being resized.

His third wedding band, he wore for a lot longer. Almost a year in fact. However, while he was battling one of Camelot's foes, he was hit with a curse. He was able to bring his arm up in time, to protect himself. The curse however, rebounded off the ring. The good news was that it rebounded onto his foe, killing him. The band news was, it cracked the ring in two. So Merlin was forced to buy a forth, identical ring. He kept the pieces of his third wedding ring, or at least, he tried too. They disappeared just hours after he locked them away in his bedside cabinet. That was when he began to think he was cursed.

His forth wedding band again, made it for no more than a day. He was kidnapped by a fellow sorcerer as he travelled through Camelot. And while he may have killed the sorcerer and escaped the second he came round, he found that his wedding band had been stolen, and no amount of searching could find it.

Merlin is now on his fifth wedding band, and he guards it with his life. He wish's more than anything, that he had the original band once again. The band that Arthur gave him on their wedding day, but now all he could hope for was that Arthur never found out that his wedding band, is in fact, his fifth.

Arthur however, knew Merlin was on his fifth wedding band. In fact, he had the other four. He'd found the first one hanging from the well just minutes after Merlin had collected a bucket of water for his horse. He attempted to return it to Merlin, but found that his husband was already wearing another. And so Arthur put it away, in a box he had hidden under his bed. The second one, he found under his head, the morning after he was crowned King. He remembered vaguely that Merlin had said it was loose, and guessed it had slipped from his lover's finger. He went looking for him at once, and found him coming out of the blacksmiths. He was wearing a new band, but told Arthur it was the original, and that it was being resized. It was then, that the band joined the first one. Arthur remembers watching, while barely conscious, as Merlin battled one of Camelot's foes. He remembers seeing his lover's wedding band split as the curse rebounded off it. The next thing he remembers is being in bed with Merlin, who was asleep and wearing a new band. He found the pieces of the third band in his lover's bedside draw, and they two, joined the others. The forth band was sent to him, along with a ransom note, the day Merlin was kidnapped. Before he could even get out of Camelot's gates, Merlin appeared, looking battered and bruised, but alive and... wearing a new wedding band. And so the forth band joined the rest.

Arthur sometimes wonders if he should just give them all back to Merlin... but then he knows that one day, the funniest situation would present itself. And maybe then, he better run...


	6. Chapter 6

Day 6 – 6(66)

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The date was June 6th, 2006. It was fast approaching 6am and we begin our story in maternity ward 6, bed 6 with Merlin. Who is 6cm dilated.

"You're going to have to hold it in Merlin! She can't be born now!" Arthur panicked as he looked at his watch once again. Merlin, who was currently in the mist of another contraction, glared at Arthur as he bit his lip in an attempt to hold in his screams.

"Are. You. Insane?" he asked between deep breaths. Arthur simply flung out his left arm, so that Merlin could see the date. 6/6/06.

"She can't be born today! Its 666! She'll be an antichrist, a devil child a... a..."

"A newborn baby?" Merlin said through gritted teeth.

"Yes! I mean no! How can she be _just_ a newborn baby? It's the sixth day, of the sixth month, of the sixth year in the new millennium! _And _you're in bed six, in ward six! _And_ it's nearly 6am!" Arthur cried, tugging his hair in panic as he did so. Merlin began to laugh. "It's not funny Merlin!" Arthur continued, trying his best _not_ to hit Merlin. He was in labour after all. Merlin tried desperately to calm himself down, so that he might reply.

"Arthur...haha... you're so funny... haha... you do know that.... haha... that a new bible passage has just been... haha... just been found.... haha... that says.... haha.... that says the number of the beast is not... haha... 666 but.... haha... 616?" Merlin, upon finishing what he had to say, was overcome with laughter.

"That is not true!" Arthur said arrogantly. He folded his arms and stuck his nose in the air.

"Check Wikipedia, it's there I promise you!" Merlin said, smiling widely. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"You know I'm not going to leave you Merlin, not so close to the birth," Arthur said with a sigh as he sat down on the bed next to Merlin.

"I'm fine, really, I'm... AARRRGGGHHH!" Merlin screamed in pain before he could finished his sentence. Another contraction, the worst one yet, had hit him.

"See," said Arthur as he took his lovers hand. "I can't leave you," Merlin squeezed his hand a few times as the pain started to ease.

"You just don't want to be proved wrong," Merlin said through gritted teeth as the worst of the pain lessened.

"No, I just don't want to miss the birth of our daughter," Arthur stated, his eyebrow raised.

"Sure," Merlin said biting back a laugh. Arthur slapped him gently on the back of his head.

--

Their baby daughter, Jennifer, was, in the end, born at 6.16am on 6/6/06. Arthur became convinced that this proved that his daughter was the antichrist, and the devil and... and that's when the doctors put her in his arms, and all that melted away. One look at his baby girl, with her stunning blue eyes, and fine wisps of blond hair, told him all that he needed to know. He was a father. And nothing else mattered.


	7. Chapter 7

Day 7 – 7 days in the life of Uther Pendragon

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Monday – Uther hates Mondays. Mondays are boring. Mondays are filled with endless papers that need signing, audience's with residents of Camelot who had seen 'magic' while out at the inn over the weekend (after a few weeks of this, Uther realised that a person's account was not reliable at all, if they had been drunk at the time in question), and Monday's are the day when Uther has to walk through Camelot, speak to his people and act friendly. He hates that, he hates when his people run at him, and demands to know why _this_ has happened, and why _that _is not being done. And so Uther hates Mondays.

Tuesday – Tuesdays are much more interesting for Uther. Tuesday is the day he gets to train with Arthur and his knights, Tuesday is that day he and Arthur go hunting (providing of course, that there are no problems within the court of Camelot) and Tuesday is the day, that he visits Igraine's grave. Tuesday, he gets to be with his family, and so Uther loves Tuesdays.

Wednesday – Wednesdays are the worst days of all. Wednesdays are the days that Uther wakes up beside Igraine. He knows he is dreaming, he always knows, but he can't help but reach out and touch her. To reassure himself that she is real. She always is, despite the fact that she is not. For a few minutes, all is well. Igraine smiles at him, kisses him, and cuddles up to him. Together they lie, happy and still, for a minute or two. But then it happens. It happens just like it did in life. A newborn baby, Arthur, appears in her arms. She smiles at him as he opens his eyes, and then his lungs. She laughs as she rocks him in an attempt to calm him down. And then he eyes widen. Baby Arthur disappears, and Igraine cries out in pain. Then the blood appears, leaking, slowly at first, then faster, from her birth canal, spreading across the clean white sheets, staining them red. The stain spreads, faster and faster, the red becomes deeper and deeper.... Igraine becomes weaker and weaker. "Look after Arthur..." she whispers, grasping Uther's hand desperately with all the strength she has left. Uther begs her, pleads with her to stay with him, to fight, to live. But she simply smiles at him, tells him she loves him, and goes limp. She dies, just like she did in life. Just like she does every Wednesday. That's when Uther wakes up. And despite the fact that he knows it was a dream, he can't help but be overcome with grief. The grief stays with him all day, and so he can never remember what happens on Wednesdays. All he can remember is the grief. And so, Uther hates Wednesdays.

Thursdays – Thursdays are very busy. Thursday Uther talks with his knights, with advisors' and Arthur about the threat of attack from neighbouring kingdoms. They spend all day looking over maps, moving little wooden men around and preparing for any threat coming their way. This is Uther's main job of the day, it takes all day and there is little time to stop. Camelot has many enemies and is invaded often. Thursday is the most important day of the week for Uther, and as tiring and irritating as they are. Uther quite likes Thursdays.

Fridays – Friday is the day that sentence's are passed on new prisoners in the dungeon, unless of course, they are sorcerers. Sorcerers are punished straight away. On Friday, Uther executes thief's and liars. He locks away idiots that have gotten themselves into brawls and fights and release's people he thinks have learned their lesson. The whole process bores him. Always it is the same drunken fools in the cells. They will return again just days after they are let out. Always the people he releases come back. Always the people he executes say the same things. They beg for their lives or swear revenge on Uther. And so Uther hates Fridays. Because Fridays never change.

Saturday – Saturdays Uther meets with Arthur. They discuss the week's goings on, and plan for the weeks ahead. Arthur tells him about his training, his work with the knights, his hunting trips and battles. For some reason he goes on about his manservant. Uther is confused by it, but he puts it down to friendship. Saturday is also the only day he spends any time with Morgana, away from the dinner table. She seems to be avoiding him as of late, but always they go riding together on Saturday evenings as the sun sets and night appears. Uther love's Saturdays, for on Saturdays he can convince himself that Morgana isn't turning against him, and he can see that Arthur will be a great king.

Sundays – Uther likes to take Sundays off. He has a drink with his knights, read, and watch any event that might be going on in the arena. Sunday is the day that Gaius comes to his chambers. Sunday is the day when Uther forgets everything, and retreats to a period a long time ago, when everything was simple, when he was Prince and Gaius was his manservant. And so Sunday, is Uther's favourite day.


	8. Chapter 8

Day 8 – Magic 8 Ball

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It appeared out of nowhere, materializing on Arthurs table out of the blue. It was a black ball, smooth and made out of a strange foreign material. Its bottom had been cut off, the ball hallowed out, only for it to be then filled with a strange purple liquid and odd shaped lump covered in words. It was sealed with a little window, which was made of the same strange material as the rest of the ball, and not glass. It was topped with a large '8'.

"What do you think it is?" Arthur said as he tossed it from hand to hand. Merlin groaned as he chucked aside yet another useless book.

"I'm not sure... I can't find anything in these books," Merlin whined, clearly very annoyed that he was drawing a blank on the whole situation.

"Is it... magic?" Arthur asked, whispering the last word, all the while glancing over his shoulder, worried that Uther was nearby and listening. Merlin laughed as he watched Arthur's nervous expression.

"I don't think so," Merlin said with a sigh as he finally pushed all his books to one side. "I've never seen anything like it, and there is nothing about it in any of these books," Arthur simply nodded, distracted by the odd behaviour of the ball. He had stopped tossing it back and forth between his hands, and was instead watching the swirling purple liquid visible through the window. Only it wasn't just purple liquid that was visible anymore, a small white triangle had bobbed to the surface, the face of which said _'My Reply Is No'._

"The ball... it answered!" Arthur cried, rushing over to Merlin.

"What are you on about Arthur you Prat, balls do not talk," Merlin said with a smirk.

"I'm serious Merlin, look! I asked you if the ball was magic, and I was shaking it as I spoke. Then I stopped shaking it, and it gave me an answer," Arthur insisted as he pushed the ball under Merlin's nose. Merlin raised an eyebrow, but glanced down nevertheless.

"So it does... this is astounding!" Merlin said as he snatched the ball out of Arthur's hands. The triangle bobbed in and out of sight. "The answer's gone. Do you think he have to ask it another question?"

"Look!" Arthur said, pointing at the balls window. A new answer had appeared. _'You can rely on it'._

"That' s amazing," Merlin cried joyfully. "What shall we ask it next?" He pondered. Arthur snatched the ball out of Merlin's hands and began to shake it.

"_I'll _ask it something Merlin, you'll probably just ask it something absurd and pointless," Arthur said with a roguish grin. "Now... strange ball, Will I be a good King?" For a few seconds, the men watched as the purple liquid swirled, and the triangle bobbed. After a few moments, it came up with an answer – _Ask again later. _"WHAT!" Arthur raged, flinging the ball the floor in anger. The ball did not smash; it simply bounced a few times, before rolling across the floor, coming to rest by the foot of the bed. Merlin was bent double with laughter.

"It doesn't like you much does it Arthur," he cried, wiping away his tears of laughter as he did so.

"Shut. Up." Arthur said through gritted teeth. Merlin however, continued.

"It must think that you're too much of a Prat to be King," he cried out. Arthur scooped the ball up off the floor, and began shaking it once again.

"It said ask again later. It is later. So... ball, will I be a good King?" Again the men watched as the liquid swirled and the triangle bobbed. This time however, the answer was different. _You can count on it. _Arthur smirked and passed the ball to Merlin. "You were saying?" Merlin took the ball and began to shake it himself.

"Ok, so maybe you might be a good King, but – strange ball, with Arthur Pendragon always be a Prat?" A few seconds later, the answer appeared. _Don't count on it. _"I think it's broken!" Merlin whined. He dropped the ball into his lap, and another answer came up. _No._

"Nope, not broken!" Said Arthur gleefully. Merlin pouted. "Merlin don't pout, it makes you appear even more idiotic than usual," Merlin simply rolled his eyes, but did not stop pouting. "Strange ball... will Merlin ever stop pouting?" he asked.

"Hey!" Merlin cried, stopping his sulk to lunge at Arthur. He dropped the ball and laughed as Merlin collided with him.

"I guess I got my answer," Arthur laughed as Merlin sat astride his hips. Merlin reached out for the ball, and questioned it once again.

"Will Arthur be getting sex tonight?" he enquired. _Not likely. _Came the reply. Merlin laughed again. Arthur flipped him over, so that he was now atop of Merlin's hips. He seized the ball from Merlin's grasp.

"Will Merlin get sex ever again?" _Without a doubt._ "Ok, I agree, it's broken," Arthur said as he glanced at the answer. "The ball says you will get sex again," Merlin laughed and squirmed out from below Arthur.

"Give it here," he insisted, holding out his hand. He shook the ball, and asked it, "Does Arthur love me?" _Don't bet on it. _Came the reply. Merlin smiled and raised his eyebrow. "Does Arthur love me?" he asked again. _Yes. _Came the reply. "Does Arthur love me?" he asked for a final time' _The outlook is murky. _Merlin smiled and tossed the ball to one side. "I don't know what this ball is, but it doesn't seem to tell the truth. I think it's just a joke," he said.

"I do love you," Arthur said, suddenly serious, capturing Merlin's face between his hands. Merlin laughed.

"I know you do," he whispered. And promptly lunged at Arthur once again.

"Well... the ball got one thing right... you will be getting sex again." The prince said between kisses.

**

"What is this... a thing of magic?" Uther cried, picking up the abandoned ball that had rolled carelessly into the corridor. He turned it over in his hands, examining it from every angle. When he came across the little window that concealed the purple liquid, he couldn't help but watch. The word _No_ appeared in the window upon a white triangle. Uther chuckled, looked from side to side to check the coast was clear, and then concealed the ball in his cloak.

_Later_

"Little black ball," Uther whispered to the ball that was out of sight in his pocket. "Will King Olaf's men invade Camelot?" _Don't worry about it. _Said the ball. Uther sighed happily... as two hundred horsemen galloped towards Camelot in the distance.


	9. Chapter 9

Day 9 – 9th circle of Hell _(Briefly based on the film 'What becomes of the broken hearted')_

_Warnings – This story deals with suicide, rape, drug use, violence, death, and domestic abuse. You have been warned. _

--

For most teenagers, life is hell. Every hates you and the world is against you. But for Arthur Pendragon, being a teenager has descended his life into the ninth circle of hell.

It started when he was 13, when he finally started to realise what was going on in his home. His father, Uther was a lazy layabout, a drunk and an abusive husband. He moved from job to job, being fired before he could even complete his first day. After a few months of this, he got fed up and signed up for benefits, sending his family into spiralling debts that they couldn't afford to pay off as he spend hours after hours in the pub with his friends. Igraine tried her best to hold the family together with what little money Uther would spare her, but times were hard and she often went hungry. Her son of course, would always eat. She would go to any lengths to make sure her son was well fed.

"Mum, it's ok, I don't need breakfast. I get free lunch at school. I'll just ask for a bigger portion," Arthur insisted as Igraine attempted to slip a box of eggs into her coat. It was 6am, and Arthur and Igraine were in the local shop. Igraine had found a pound in her purse, and had taken advantage of the fact that Uther was asleep, and slipped out to buy a loaf of bread. A single pound it may be, but it was enough for a half pint of Fosters.

"You can't have _just _toast Arthur, you need your strength," Igraine insisted. She glanced over her shoulder at the man behind the counter, and, seeing that he was busy with early-morning commuters, slipped the eggs into her pocket.

"_Mother!" _Arthur cried. But it was too late, Igraine had slipped out of the door, and was walking home as fast as she could, without looking suspicious. Arthur darted out after her, the loaf of bread swinging in his hand. He caught up with her as she attempted to slip in the front door unnoticed, but it was too late. The lights blazed into life and Uther tore the door open before Igraine could even turn her key. Arthur couldn't help but cower behind the bush. As much as he wanted to stand up for his mother, his 13 year old self was no match for Uther, who towered over him, and was in more bar fights that he could care to remember.

"Where the hell have you been woman?" he raged the second the door was open. His face had darkened to the deepest of reds, his eyes bulged, his fists clenched. Igraine ducked her head and mumbled something about Arthur and eggs. "Liar!" he screamed. "You've been cheating on me, haven't you? HAVEN'T YOU?" Uther grabbed Igraine's hair and pulled her head up, so that her nervous eyes met his swelling ones. Again Igraine mumbled, her voice becoming higher and higher the more she said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the box of eggs. "You dare to spend _my_ money without _my _permission?" Uther raged as he snatched the eggs from Igraine's palm. He let go of Igraine's hair so that he could open the box, but then proceeded to smash each egg, one by one, into Igraine's sobbing face. "Don't you _dare_ defy me ever again," he yelled, before finally pushing Igraine to the floor. He grabbed his coat and slipped out of the front door. "I'm going to the pub," he said as he swept round the corner. 6.30am it may be, but he was Uther Pendragon. No one would dare send him away from their pub. At least not a second time. As soon as Uther was out of sight, Arthur ran to his sobbing, broken mother.

"Mum, are you ok?" he asked as he dumped the bread and wiped the egg from her face. She smiled as her son and pushed his hands away.

"I'm fine... really Arthur don't look at me like that, I am fine!" she insisted as she stumbled to her feet. Arthur however, could see in the early morning light, that bruises were forming on her face, due to the sheer amount of force Uther had used in smashing the eggs in her face.

"Mum..." he whispered, grimacing at her swollen features. Igraine again, shook her face and smiled.

"It's nothing Arthur, truly. Now, breakfast? No egg's I'm afraid, but you like toast, right?"

--

"Arthur, this is the third time you have been sent to my office this week! This sort of behaviour isn't like you. Is there anything you want to tell me, problems at home? With a girl?" Arthur shook his head as is head teacher gave him a caring expression that simply made it look like he was forcing sympathy on the young man in front of him.

"I'm fine," he said in an offhand way, with a shrug of his shoulders. He folded his arms and looked down, suddenly finding the black stuff under his nails extremely interesting.

"Arthur, I'm afraid I'm going to have to send a letter home to your parents," the head teacher continued, trying his best to make it seem like this was the last thing he wanted to do. In truth, he normally would just sent a letter home straight away, no questions asked. But his shrink had told him he should try and be calmer and kinder to his students, and maybe they might stop egging his car.

"Fine," Arthur said with a shrug of his shoulders. A letter home would be nothing. His father didn't deal with the mail, and his mother would just sigh, hug him, and tell him not to do it again. The head teacher sighed, pulled a stack of forms closer and started to fill one in.

The truth behind Arthurs recent appalling behaviour was simply that he was being bullied. Simply being a stupid word really, as it was getting to Arthur. The other kids picked up on the fact that he got free school dinners, wore the same clothes a lot and came from an abusive, dysfunctional household.

There was the time Arthur had come in late to school, after spending the night in A & E with his mother.

"Aww did your daddy beat up your mummy again? What you too much of a wimp to stand up to him yourself?" one boy had taunted as he had pushed Arthur and laughed. Arthur said nothing, did nothing, simply took the abuse with gentle grace.

"Are you retarded or somethin'? " another boy questioned, stepping in to shove Arthur as well. Still Arthur said nothing, did nothing. The two boys sniggered and taunted as the pushed Arthur back and forth between them like a ragged play thing. It was when Arthur finally slumped to the floor in pain that they stopped.

"Whatever happed to your mum, she deserved it, bitch needs to learn some respect," the first boy jeered as the second boy gave Arthur one final kick.

"Don't you dare say anything about my mother, don't you _dare_!" Arthur fumed. And then he was on his feet. And then the lashing out began. The screams, and the kicks and punches. And Arthur was beaten down, and more people joined in while others heckled and watched. Nevertheless still Arthur fought back, still he defended his mother, but there was no stopping the other kids, no end to the pain and the torment.

From then on, the kids knew what buttons to press to get to Arthur, knew what to say to wind him up and make him start a fight. So Arthur found himself getting in more and more trouble, but not once would he ever step down. Not when it was his mother they were taunting.

--

Soon however, his mother wasn't there to talk him though his hurt, his torment. She was taken away from him, or rather; he was taken away from her. His aggressive behaviour in the school yard, coupled with his problems at home, meant he was taken into temporary foster care, where he was to stay until it was deemed safe for him to return. His foster home was terrible, the parents worked all day and all night, the other kids were drunks and addicts and the house was far away from everything he knew, everyone he cared about. From his mother. And though she was allowed to visit, Uther wouldn't allow it. Apparently £3.00 is too much to spare for a bus ticket there and back. Yet every Saturday, Arthur would sit in the window that watched out over the bus stop and he would wait and wait, and his heart would race every time the 333 stopped, only for it to sink again when his mother did not step off. It would be dark before Arthur gave up, and he would slip away to his room in despair, rejecting dinner (despite the fact that Saturday was take out night) and ignoring everyone. Once alone, he would throw himself onto his bed and cry. But still, every Saturday, there he sat at the window, waiting for his mother, who he know, deep down, would never come.

Of course the bulling started again, but it was worse now. There was no escape, because he lived with his tormenters, and he had no one to turn to for comfort, not with his mother so far away.

There was the time he came home late from school to find that his room had been broken into. All the letters, the pictures, the presents and treats that his mother had sent him had been destroyed or stolen. Pieces of paper, no bigger than the palm of his hand, littered the floor, covering every surface. Some held words, some bits of pictures, all of it from his mother, all of it memories from home. Comfort. Reassurance. And that's when he snapped, again. He didn't know who had been in his room, but frankly he didn't care. He stormed out of his room, slamming the door shut as he did so. He ran down the stairs as fast as he legs would carry him, pulling down the pictures and lists of rules that adorned the walls.

"Who the fuck has been in my room?" he screamed, bursting into the living area, an aura of sheer rage coming off him that was so strong, everyone could feel it. Everyone froze, stared at Arthur confused. "Tell me!" Arthur demanded after a few seconds of silence. Still no one spoke, no one moved. "One of you wankers has been in my room! Now own the fuck up!" Still nothing. Even more enraged by the silence, Arthur walked up to the TV and stood behind it. "Own the fuck up or I'll smash the fucking telly," he roared.

"Dude.... chill..." said his blond haired foster 'brother'. Arthur glared at him, he was clearly very stoned, and was clearly, not taking Arthur seriously.

"Shut the fuck up Simon! I am not going to 'chill' until someone tells me who was in my fucking room!" Arthur cried.

"Look mate, no one has been in your room," Simon insisted. Arthur reached into his pocket and pulled out a few scraps of paper, he threw them into the air and they slowly fell through the room before they settled on the table in front of Simon. "Aw mate, ain't they those letters from your mum?" Simon asked as he picked up and piece and read the few words that remained on its crumpled surface.

"Yeah,_ mate_, they were," Arthur said, being sure to put a lot of emphasis in his sarcastic use of the word 'mate'. Simon raised an eyebrow.

"It weren't me!" he claimed, holding up his hands as if that would prove his innocence. Arthur turned his gaze from Simon, to the others in the room.

"Well, what about the rest of you?" he demanded. Melissa, the only girl, shook her head, then returned to her book. The others in the room exchanged nervous glance's, but otherwise, did nothing. "Right then, you want to play it this way? Fine by me!" he snarled, and then, without warning, used all his strength to push the TV to the floor. It smashed on impact. "Have it that way then!" Arthur continued. He flew round the room, destroying everything he could get his hands on. He smashed vase's, pulled down pictures, and kicked over any furniture that got in his way. Everyone but stoned Simon fled the room as Arthur destroyed everything he laid his hands on. Someone must have called the police, because before Arthur knew it, he was on the floor and he was being cuffed. Everything around him was a blur. People were talking to him but he didn't hear what was being said, all he was aware of was the fact that he was being led into a waiting police car.

--

Arthur sat in the waiting room of the local court house. He was due to be sentenced for criminal damage, but he knew he was going to a juvenile detention centre. No foster home would have him now, and there was no way he would be allowed to be with his parents.

"Oh Arthur, why did you do it?" his mother asked him, as she slipped her hand over his. She had only just arrived at the court, but Arthur knew she had to wait until his father passed out before she could slip away. Arthur shrugged his shoulders, and blinked away the tears in his eyes. He had hurt his mother, hurt her bad. It was the worst feeling in the world.

"They might let you come home son. Your dad, he hasn't been hitting me. Not at all. A social worker came by to check things out yesterday, and she said she could see real improvement in our relationship," Igraine said with a smile. Arthur looked at her,_ really_ looked at her and found that here wasn't even the slightest trace of a bruise anywhere on her. Arthur smiled and nodded.

"I'll still have a record though mum," he whispered, looking grim, despite the playful smile he had forced onto his lips. Igraine sighed but squeezed her son's hand.

"Maybe. But we'll work round it, I promise," she said. Arthur nodded, but didn't look very hopeful. "Hey! Arthur things are going to get better, I promise," she insisted. Again Arthur nodded, but this time he let his tears fall.

"I'm so scared mum. I don't want to go locked up," he whispered. Igraine couldn't help but pull her son into her arms.

--

Arthur was allowed home. In fact, he got away without a criminal record. He was simply told he had to attend anger management class's. If he did not attend them however, or his social worker believed they were not working, he would end up in court again.

For the first few days, everything was great at home. Uther stayed with his family, didn't touch a drop of booze. He gave Igraine money to buy food, clothes, and was suddenly calm and kind. For a few blissful days, Arthur truly believed that his mother's words had come true, and that everything was going to be alright. But of course, it wasn't long before his new found happiness came crashing down around him.

It started with one drink. It was Uther's best friend's birthday and he attended the party a few miles away. He returned at 3am, drunk, high and angry. Arthur had been asleep at the time, but the slam of the front door woke him in an instance. He heard his mother rush downstairs to ask Uther to be quite, it was 3am after all, and then he heard Uther hit her. The sound rang in his ears, or at least that's what it felt like, it was more likely that Uther hit Igraine again and again, because the next thing Arthur knew, all was silent, save from his mother's quite sobs. He went to her of course, but from there, it was like nothing had changed at all.

--

It was just two weeks later than Arthur's life truly entered the 9th circle of hell. Uther had brought a group of his mates home from the pub and had started a party. The booze was flowing, and more and more people kept turning up. Igraine was at her mother's for the weekend, and so Arthur was left all alone to deal with it. He spent most of the night huddled in the corner of the living room, an ignored beer clasped in his hand (Someone had thrust it into his hand after Uther refused to let him go to his room), a lost expression on his face. Uther passed out just before midnight, and so Arthur slipped from the room, and took refuge in his own. The refuge however, did not last long.

At about 1am the noise died down and people left. From what Arthur could hear, they were going to someone else's house to continue the party. He sighed in relief, he was so desperate to sleep, and slipped into bed. Seconds later, he heard someone coming up the stairs, but ignored it, figuring it was his father, and tried to slumber. But then his door opened. Then he came in. James, otherwise known as 'Biggsy', was Uther's best friend, and he was standing in Arthurs door way, swaying, a vicious smirk on his face.

"Arthur," he whispered, his voice low, sexual. "How long I've wanted you..." and although he stumbled as he made his way into the room, Arthur couldn't help but panic. This man was here to _rape_ him. He darted out of bed and backed himself up against the wall.

"Leave me alone!" he demanded in his best attempt at a brave voice. Biggsy snickered.

"Oh but Arthur, baby, you've wanted me too. I know you have..." he slurred, stumbling again as he made his way over to Arthur.

"I'll scream!" Arthur threatened, but Biggsy only laughed.

"Go ahead little man, but I assure you, the only person here is your father. And he ain't even conscious," Biggsy taunted. Arthur gulped and moved along the wall, trying his best to get to the door before Biggsy could get to him.

"He'll kill you if you do this!" Arthur said again, his threatening tone diminishing with every word.

"Really? I was under the impression that Uther didn't give a fuck about you," Biggsy said. Arthur gulped again, but said nothing. "Ah, I'm right aren't I little man? Oh well don't worry kiddo, Uncle Biggsy still care's about you," he insisted, he smirk now reaching a new kind of viciousness.

"I don't give a fuck about you!" Arthur whispered angrily through gritted teeth. Biggsy simply laughed, and was suddenly sober in an instance.

"Well, this won't be fun for you then, will it?" he yelled, laughter gone, anger replacing it. Arthur ran for the door but Biggsy caught him before he could get to it, and tackled him to the floor. He attempted to kiss Arthur's cheek, but Arthur fought hard and threw back his head in an attempt to head-butt Biggsy. He missed. "Oi! Stay the fuck still Arthur! Stay still or I'll fucking stab your mother!" he screamed into Arthur's ear. Arthur stopped moving in an instant. He couldn't be sure if what Biggsy was saying was true, but he couldn't risk it. Not his mother. "Good boy. Now, I'm going to let you up. You gonna do a runner?" Biggsy asked. Arthur shook his head.

"No..." he whimpered, barely able to hear himself. Biggsy nodded and let him go.

"Good lad. Now, on your feet," he said as he himself stood up. Arthur, shaking and sobbing violently pulled himself to his feet. "Good... now, your clothes. Off. All of 'em," Biggsy ordered. Arthur didn't move. "You do what I say boy or I'll make sure that this knife finds its way into your mother's body, alright?" Biggsy muttered, a knife in his hand. Arthur had no idea where the knife had come from, but nodded. "Well come on then! Clothes. Off!" Biggsy demanded. Arthur nodded and didn't hesitate as he stripped off. Biggsy watched with a sickening smirk on his lips the whole time. "On the bed. Lie on your front, and spread your legs!" Biggsy demanded. Again Arthur refused to move. "MOVE! OR DO YOU WANT YOUR MOTHER DEAD?" Biggsy screamed. Arthur trembled and shook his head.

"No! No... please don't hurt her... please!" Arthur begged. Biggsy nodded his head towards the bed. Arthur nodded and did as he was told. He lay down on the bed, face first, and spread his legs. Behind him he could hear Biggsy stripping off, and found he had to cling to his pillow to stop himself from sobbing. Seconds later, Biggsy was straddling him, just below his buttocks. Arthur felt hot bile rise in his throat, but gulped it back, knowing it would only make Biggsy angrier if he puked. The vomit settled in his stomach, overwhelming him with an urge to vomit. Coupled with the fear of what he knew was about to come, Arthur had never felt worse in his life. But he knew worse was to come. Arthur knew enough about gay sex to know he'd have to be _prepared_ first in order to make things as easy as possible. But he was right in thinking that Biggsy wasn't going to bother with that. Without so much as a word of warning, Biggsy grabbed Arthur's hips, and pushed into him with all the strength he could muster. Arthur wanted to cry out, but thought better of it, and instead, bit down onto his pillow. The pain, it was like nothing he had ever felt before. It surged through him, filling his entire body with a white hot throbbing, the centre of which, was at his anus, which felt as though it were on fire. Arthur whimpered into the pillow as Biggsy leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

"Fuck me Arthur... you are tight! Now you just lay back and relax. Uncle Biggsy gonna take care of you," he promised. And then he moved. He pulled back slowly, and thrust back into him at the same sluggish rate. It felt like razors were being dragged in and out of Arthur, but still, he held back his screams. Again Biggsy thrust in and out, a little faster this time. And then again, and again. Faster each time. And with each thrust, the pain worsened, with each thrust, Arthur's grip on his pillow tightened. He was in so much pain, so much that he wished that he would just die. Every few thrusts, Biggsy would lean forward and mutter in Arthur's ear again. Words that would be said to one's lover, not the person they were raping. Everything that Biggsy said washed over Arthur's head, for now, all Arthur was aware of was the pain. It completely overtook him, blinded him, shattered him, but still he refused to scream. He could feel blood dripping onto his sheets, and knew that he had been torn, but still ne did not scream. He could not risk it. He knew if he did, Biggsy might kill his mother. Finally, after what felt like hours, Biggsy cried out inaudibly and Arthur felt a hot liquid shoot into his body. Biggsy was done. It was almost over. The older man pulled out of Arthur, and cleaned himself up using the tissues that Arthur kept on his bedside table. He ignored Arthur completely, bloodied and sobbing on the bed, as he dressed and lit a cigarette. It wasn't until he was half out the bedroom door, that he turned to Arthur and said. "Clean yourself up... and don't you even think about telling anyone. You do that, and your mother will be 6ft under by the end of the day!" He then simply slammed the door shut, and slipped out of the house.

As soon as the front door slammed, Arthur started to sob, pausing only to vomit violently on the floor. He stumbled out of bed and into his bathroom. He ran a bath, not caring that the hot water hadn't been on. He got in before the water was even an inch deep and immediately began scrubbing violently at his body. The water had turned red around him, but he didn't care. He just wanted to rid himself of the feeling of Biggsy's skin on his. For hours he sat there, scrubbing until his skin was red. The only care he took in cleaning himself, was when he cleaned his anus. It was raw, open, bleeding. The pain he felt when he touched it was overwhelming. He treated the wound with care. Once done, Arthur pulled the soiled and bloody sheets of his bed and rushed downstairs to put them in the bin before anyone could see them. He shoved them under bags of rubbish, and then returned to his room to clean up any evidence of the nights events. It was dawn by the time he finished, and he collapsed into his bed, exhausted. He was unable to sleep however, and simply lay in bed, remembering what had happened over and over again, silent tears dripping down his face the entire time.

--

"Arthur look at me! What is the matter with you?" Igraine demanded a week later. A week in which Arthur hadn't spoken. A week in which he had cried himself to sleep every night. A week in which he'd relived his rape in every waking moment. Arthur looked at his mother, but simply shook his head. Igraine sighed and reached out for Arthur's hand. Arthur pulled his hand away. "Arthur please talk to me son... please. I can see something is very wrong with you, but how can I help you if you don't tell me what it is!" Igraine begged, tears falling down her face. Still Arthur said nothing, despite how much it hurt to see his mother so distressed. He couldn't trust himself to open his mouth. He did not know what he would say if he did. Igraine ran a hand through her limp hair, before resting her weary head in her hands, elbows propped up on the table. After a few seconds, Igraine snapped. "ARTHUR TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" She shrieked, standing up in order to tower over her mute son. Still Arthur said nothing, instead choosing to flee the room. He rushed out of the front door, and slammed the door shut behind him. Igraine attempted to follow him, but was grabbed by Uther and smashed into the wall.

"You dare to disturb my sleep woman?" he raged. But Igraine wasn't listening; she merely stared at the front door, wishing she knew what was going on within her son's mind.

--

Arthur went to the only place he felt he could go, the only place he felt he could be safe. Merlin's. Merlin was an older teenager who lived in a hostel a mile away from Arthur's home. He was always stoned, but he and Arthur got on well. Merlin opened the door after 5 whole minutes of Arthur knocking. The older boy was clearly very stoned, and had undoubtedly been woken up.

"Arthur! Bit early isn't it?" he said with a yawn. Arthur smiled for the first time in a week and informed his friend that it was well past 3pm. Merlin stepped aside with a smile and Arthur slipped in. "I'd offer you a joint, but I know you'd refuse," Merlin said a few minutes later as he stuck a freshly rolled joint in his mouth. Arthur, who was lying on the bed laughed.

"I'll have a few drags," Arthur said. Merlin too laughed, Arthur was so anti-drugs that he wouldn't have believed him, had it not been for the fact that he was holding his hand out of the joint. Merlin raised an eyebrow, but handed it over nevertheless. Arthur chocked and gagged straight away.

"Take it slow, little puffs," Merlin insisted as he plonked himself down next to Arthur. Arthur followed Merlin's advice, and soon felt himself tumbling into a planet where all he could do was giggle, and nothing in the world mattered expect that takeout pizza that was meant to have been here hours ago, that they had only ordered minutes ago.

"You know... you are my bestest... my bestest friend," Arthur said as he accepted the joint from Merlin. He began giggling at the hapless expression on Merlin's face.

"You are mine... bestest... " Merlin muttered. The two teens giggled helplessly for a few minutes, and soon found that they were looking into each other's eyes, whether they meant to or not. Suddenly, Merlin's lips were upon Arthurs. Arthur froze, but Merlin was none the wiser and pressed his lips against Arthurs harder. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Pizza!" Came a voice from the other side. Arthur suddenly found the courage to push Merlin away. It was a half hearted attempt, as Arthur was so stoned, but Merlin fell of the bed all the same.

"Don't you touch me! Don't! Why are you all... why can you just be..." But Arthur couldn't finish, he simply fled from the room, pushing past a confused Pizza delivery guy in his efforts to get away. He could hear Merlin calling after him, but Merlin did not follow.

--

Arthur was barely in the front door when Uther was upon him. He shoved his sobered up son against the wall, and got right in his face.

"Where the hell have you been you ungrateful little druggie?" he snarled, smelling the weed on Arthur's clothes. Arthur said nothing, simply whimpered. "You mother has been out half the goddamn day looking for your sorry ass! Now tell me. Where have you been?" Still Arthur said nothing, despite wanting too. It seemed that his voice did not want to be found. What did find him however, was Uther's fist. Blood spurted from Arthur's nose on impact, and he felt the bone shatter before he felt the pain. "Where have you been?" Uther demanded. Still Arthur could not speak, and so Uther raised his fist once again.

"Leave the boy alone," came Biggsy voice from the living room. "Come on Uther, he's just messed around with a bit of weed with a couple of mates. I'm sure he'd learnt his lesson. Let him go," Uther glared at Arthur, but nevertheless, did as Biggsy said, and let his son go. "There now, Arthur, have you learnt your lesson?" Biggsy continued. Arthur still said nothing, did nothing, not even to stem the bleeding coming from his broken nose.

"You answer him boy, he saved you from a beating, the least you could do is thank him," Uther demanded. Arthur glared at his father and spat out the blood that had filled his mouth.

"I don't want to," he said firmly. Uther's eyes bulged at his son's words, but he did not pause for thought as he grabbed his son by the hair and dragged him towards Biggsy.

"You will thank him. Now!" Uther demanded as he threw his son to floor at Biggsy feet. Arthur still refused to say anything. Uther kicked him in the stomach as hard as he could, winding him. Arthur coughed and choked, but still he said nothing. Before Uther could hit him again, Biggsy spoke again.

"Uther, leave the boy alone. Igraine will be back soon," he said, nodding at the front door. Uther stopped mere millimetres' away from kicking Arthur, and lowered his foot.

"I don't need you to fucking stick up for me James!" Arthur yelled at Biggsy. "I didn't ask for your fucking help!" Uther looked at Biggsy's reaction, but Biggsy simply shook his head.

"Get out of my sight," Uther growled at Arthur. Arthur didn't hesitate for a second. He fled the room and ran into the back garden.

--

Arthur looked up at the tree through tear filled eyes. He remembered happier times, when his father had been sober, and his family had been happy. He and Uther had made a swing out of an old tire one lazy Sunday afternoon, and had hung it from the tree. The tire was long since gone, but the rope still remained. No one had bothered to cut it down. Arthur caught sight of the rope, and knew in an instant what he was going to do. He didn't think about it, he just did it. He struggled up the trunk of the tree, and onto the branch to which the rope was attached. The rope wasn't very long, but was long enough for Arthur to create a noose. Although the branch wasn't very high, Arthur knew it would be high enough to get the job done. Still not thinking about anything but the blissful peace he would be in, in a matter of minutes, Arthur slipped the noose around his neck. The feeling of the rope sent chills down his spine, and fear through his mind, but still he was determined. Still he knew he would fling himself of that branch, into oblivion, into deaths waiting arms. He took only one deep breath of courage before he did it. He just threw himself off the branch. The first few seconds passed as if in slow motion, his body falling though the air, the tightening of the rope around his neck, but all too soon everything was happening fast. He was chocking, was short of breath. He did not struggle, he simply willed himself to die faster. No one cared about him anymore. _Nobody. _To his father, he was a burden, and a costly one at that. When he was gone, his father would be able to spend more and more money on the drink he loved more than his son and wife. To his mother, he was a disappointment. A friendless school dropout with anger issues who was destined for a life of crime. When he was gone, his mother would not have to worry anymore. To Merlin, the only friend he had ever felt he had, he was just a bit of fun. Someone to do drugs with, to make out with, to pass the time with. When he was gone, Merlin would find another. And to Biggsy, he was just a piece of meat. A piece of meat to be used and abandoned whenever suited him most. Arthur knew that he would find another piece of meat, but quite frankly, Arthur didn't care. He didn't care about anything anymore. He just wanted it all to end. And then the end came, a painful blackening of his vision and mind, that started slowly at first, but sped up with every breath Arthur failed to take. It was in those last few seconds of his dismal life, that Arthur felt the peace and calm he had never once felt in life. It was in those last few seconds that Arthur was happy, for as much pain as he was in, as weak and dead as he felt, he was finally leaving the hell that was his life, to go on to bigger and better things. Whether that be nothingness, heaven or hell, he knew it had to be better than his life, for truly his life was in the 9th circle of hell, and he couldn't stand to be there a second longer.


	10. Chapter 10

Day 10 – Top 10 Night's of Merlin's life.

_**FYI – edit – This work has now been proof read an edited, the little mistakes have now been sorted. The dog is still in labour. It's been 19 hours now. Bless her she's having a nap!**_

--

10 – The night after Arthur fought Valiant:

Arthur had retired to bed early that night. It had been a long day, he was tired and his muscles ached from the battle. Merlin had taken the time to warm his sheets (with magic of course) before Arthur had slipped between them. Arthur had sighed happily as he slipped between the sheets. Slipping into a warm bed after a hard day was one of his favourite things to do.

"Everything to your liking sire?" Merlin had asked as soon as Arthur was settled. Arthur's lips twitched into the faintest of smile's as he nodded.

"Yes. Thank you Merlin. That will be all for tonight," Arthur said, dismissing Merlin with a wave of his hand. Merlin bowed.

"Goodnight then sire," Merlin said with a bow. Before Merlin could slip quietly out of the room, Arthur called him back.

"Merlin?" Arthur said as he sat himself up in bed and indicated that Merlin return. Merlin froze. What was Arthur going to say? Had he realized that Merlin had used magic to reveal the snakes? Was he waiting until now to mention so that Merlin could not cause a scene.

"Yes sire?" Merlin asked with another bow. He hoped that Arthur did not hear how nervous he was.

"Thank you. For today. I would have been dead if it were not for you. Not many people would be so persistent had they been treated like you were. Yet still you insisted that you were right. Had you not, Camelot would have fallen, I am in your debt," Merlin mumbled wordlessly at the prince for a few seconds before he could come up with a decent reply.

"What you weren't already?" he asked with a playful smile and a shrug of his shoulders. Arthur frowned and threw his pillow at Merlin's head, who managed to dodge it in time.

"Go home Merlin!" Arthur said as he settled himself down again. Merlin headed to the door once again. "Oh Merlin?" Merlin fought back a laugh as he turned round and bowed again. "My pillow?" Arthur said as he held out his hand. Merlin picked up the pillow and held it out to Arthur, but, before Arthur could take it, Merlin snatched it back.

"Goodnight Arthur," he cried as he ran madly down the hall, pillow in hand, giggles escaping his lips.

And it was when Merlin cuddled up to said pillow that night that he realized how nice Arthur's scent was.

--

9 – The night he woke up in Arthur's bed.

Merlin does not remember what happened that day. All he remembers is waking up in the most comfortable bed he had ever slept in, feeling warm, snug and for some reason, very nauseous. He guessed he must have been dreaming, and so, for a few minutes, he just lay there with his eyes closed, hoping against hope that he did not wake anytime soon and find himself in his own less comfy bed. Only, he didn't wake up, because he already was. He opened his eyes in shock after Arthur, who was snoozing in his chair, coughed in his sleep. Merlin's open eyes had revealed to him that he was in Arthur's bed, and that Arthur was asleep in a chair next to him – apparently watching over him. Merlin looked around, confused and embarrassed. Why was he in Arthur's bed? More importantly, why was Arthur watching him? Mad visions of out of control magic and decelerations of 'I love you' raced through Merlin's mind, sending him into a whirl of terror. He started to become short of breath, his chest tightened and his head spun. What was going on? Was he dying? Before he could even contemplate what would happen to Camelot should he die, Arthur was at his side, rubbing his back and telling him to breathe.

"I can't!" Merlin insisted.

"You can breathe idiot, you're having a panic attack!" Arthur insisted, but still sat with Merlin, rubbing his back, reassuring him, until the panic subsided and his breathing became normal once again.

According to Arthur he had just collapsed while cleaning his chambers, after complaining that he was feeling light headed. Arthur had panicked and put him straight in his own bed, before running to get Gaius.

"It was the most sensible option!" Arthur had insisted. "I could find Gaius a lot quicker without you weighing me down,"

Merlin was tempted to tell him that Gaius could always be found in his chambers at the time that Merlin had apparently passed out.

"Anyway Gaius said you haven't been eating probably. Make sure you do eat probably from now on Merlin, I have the jousting competition to prepare for, and I really don't have time to train another servant as well," Arthur had yelled at him the second he had seemed well enough to take it.

"Yes sire, of course," Merlin had said rushing out of room before his smile could give him away. Arthur _cared_ about him. Arthur had been _worrying_ about him. He had been in Arthur's _bed_.

That alone was worth the sickly feeling he was left with for the next few days.

--

8 – When Arthur followed them to Ealdor, and scared Merlin in the night.

Merlin remembers sitting at the fire, feeling so scared and anxious about the coming days. He had no idea how he was going to defend Ealdor _without_ magic, and _without_ Arthur. He could feel the fear flowing through his veins, burning his insides with a sick sort of fear that comes only with impending death. But then Arthur had shown up, chainmail and all, and suddenly Merlin knew all would work out. He knew that Arthur would lead Ealdor to victory and that his mother would be able to live in peace once again. Because Merlin knew, although he didn't know why, that Arthur would go to any lengths to ensure his manservant's safety and happiness. And that alone made Merlin happier than he had ever been in his life – despite the fact that Arthur went straight to sleep and made Merlin stay up and keep watch!

--

7 – The night that Arthur muttered Merlin's name in his sleep.

Merlin had to stay with Arthur overnight. In fact, Merlin was not to leave Arthur's side at all. He had food poisoning and Uther was worried that he night throw up in his sleep, and choke to death on his own vomit.

"Father! I do not want Merlin watching over me as I sleep!" Arthur insisted from his sick bed.

"Nonsense Arthur, what if you vomit in the night and choke to death," Uther insisted. "Merlin will watch over you, and you'll be fine," Uther slapped Merlin on the shoulder with such force that Merlin felt his knee's shake. He managed to stay standing. Somehow.

"Merlin is a useless buffoon. He'll fall asleep before me, and then what will happen if I vomit in the night?" Arthur cried. Merlin smiled nervously.

"I'll stay awake," he promised. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"There, the boy says he'll stay awake. You'll be fine. Now I must be off. Goodnight Arthur," Uther said, and before Arthur could protest, he swept from the room, cloak flowing out behind him.

"Don't worry Arthur, I'll stay awake, I swear!" Merlin promised as he propped up Arthur's pillows. Arthur simply groaned and turned over to go to sleep, not bothering to reply to Merlin.

It was hours later when it happened. The castle had long fallen quite, the torches long since put out, but Merlin was still awake. Of course, he was using magic to stay awake, but that didn't stop his head from dropping, or his eyes from closing. Merlin was sure he didn't doze off, but he might have, because one minute he was watching the twinkling of the stars out the window, and the next, a mumbling from Arthur had him snapping his sleepy head up as quickly as he could move it.

"Arthur?" Merlin questioned, springing to his feet. He raced over to Arthur and checked around his mouth and nose for signs that the Prince had vomited. Finding none, he guessed that the Prince had spoken in his sleep, and sank himself into his chair once again.

"Merlin..." Arthur whispered. It was an intimate, almost inaudible whisper, but Merlin still heard it.

"Arthur? Are you ok?" Merlin asked, rushing back over to his prince again. Merlin frowned when he realised the prince was still asleep, and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up a bit. "Merlin...." Merlin was sure Arthur had spoken this time. He had seen the man's lips move! Intrigued, he watched Arthur a few seconds longer. Arthur remained silent, but his sleeping form began to act strangely. He had pulled one of his pillows from beneath his head, and was holding it close to his body. Merlin began to laugh, and had to bite down on his lip in order to stop the sound from waking the sleeping prince. Arthur was now rubbing his face against the pillow, and tightening his hold on it. "Love you Merlin..." he whispered to the pillow. Merlin's jaw dropped. Had he just _heard_... There was _no_ way... But as much as Merlin tried to deny it, Arthur had said it. He had whispered to a pillow-Merlin that he loved him. And as much as Merlin hated to admit it, Arthur's words had sent chills down his spine, that had settled in his stomach and turned into the flutteriest of butterfly's.

_Did he love Arthur?_

--

6 – The night they had a drunken kiss.

Merlin and Arthur were the only ones left in the banquet hall. It was nearing dawn and the night's partying had finally come to an end. Merlin wasn't quite sure what they had been celebrating. All that he was sure of was that there had been a lot of wine and that he had been free to drink as much as he had wanted to, for Uther had wanted everything to go right and had hired regular kitchen staff for the event. Arthur was meant to have stayed sober, but by midnight, he was stumbling around the banquet hall muttering nonsense that nobody could make head nor tail off. Uther had told his son that if he valued his freedom, he would stay in a quiet corner and keep his mouth shut unless told otherwise. Arthur had done as he was told, and was joined by Merlin not long after. Together the two of them had giggled and whispered like a couple of gossiping old maids. They went unnoticed for most of the night. The music and chatter from the party was loud enough to cover their murmured drunkenness. The only time anyone took any notice of them was when Arthur thought it would be funny to trip up Sir Leon as he passed by carrying a fragile, expensive vase that Uther had asked his to fetch. Luckily Arthur was so drunk, that he stuck his foot out far too early. Sir Leon had noticed and had simply stepped over the young prince's leg. Arthur had taken the incredibly dire revenge that was calling Leon an endless torrent of senseless names.

And then suddenly they were alone. Neither could remember when everyone had left, but frankly, neither cared, for now they were alone, and could be as loud as they wanted.

"And then... haha... I took his sword... haha.... and I hit him over the head with it!" Arthur said. Merlin had been lost in a fit of giggles since Arthur had started the story and had no idea what the hell Arthur was on about, or what was so funny.

"You're so funny..." he forced out, before becoming bent double with laughter once again. Arthur beamed at Merlin, a genuine smile of happiness rather a smile that was the result of the drunken giggles.

"Good." Arthur said, ducking his head in order to his the reddening of his cheeks. "I want you to find me funny," Merlin too, found himself blushing. What exactly did he do to warrant such un-Arthur like behaviour from the prince?

"I do... find you funny..." Merlin insisted, nodding his head frantically. And then suddenly Arthur's glazed eyes were looking intently into Merlin's, and Merlin found that he could not look away.

"Merlin..." it was the intimate, almost inaudible whisper of that night so long ago. And then Arthur was moving forward, tilting his head to the side as he closed his eyes. A few tense seconds passed for Merlin as Arthurs face drew closer and closer. Was Arthur going to kiss him? Should he kiss him back? Did he _want_ to kiss him back? But before he could make up his mind, Arthur's lips were upon his, and his question was answered for him. He found himself pulling the prince closer, found himself crushing his lips against Arthur's with the same intensity that Arthur was kissing him, found himself lost in a whirlwind of pink, of flowers, of hearts and or love. And that's when he realised. He _loved_ Arthur. _Loved him._ More than he loved himself, more than he loved his mother, more than he loved his powers.

"Arthur..." Merlin whispered as he dragged himself away from Arthur's lips so that he might breathe just for a second. He smiled softly and leaned his forehead against Arthur's, ran his hand through the prince's golden locks. For a few seconds, all was well; they started into each other's eyes with a sickly sweet smile that said it all. Love. The change in Arthur was so abrupt, so unexpected, that Merlin failed to see it coming. All he knew was that Arthur was on his feet, fleeing the scene with an intense fear in his eyes and a deep embarrassment that coated his cheeks. "Arthur!" he cried out after him. No response came, but Merlin knew better than to go after him.

--

5 – The night after the night before.

Merlin stayed in his chambers all day, not daring to leave them in fear that he might bump into Arthur. Gaius didn't dare question his behaviour. He seemed to have some all knowing aura around him that knew when Merlin needed to be left well alone. Merlin didn't leave his bed. Didn't eat, didn't sleep, and barely took a sip of water. He just lay there, wishing that the night before had never happened. Wishing even more so that it had, and that Arthur had not run away. It was all so confusing, and he found that his head was spinning with that, and with the inevitable hangover from the nights drinking. All in all he found that he just wanted to close his eyes, and then open them again when all was back to normal. Finally, as darkness fell, he able to close his eyes and fall into the slumber he had been hoping for all day. However, when he opened his eyes, it wasn't morning and everything was not back to normal. Everything was different, for when he opened his eyes; Arthur was next to him, fast asleep and curled up into a little ball, his fingers clutched the edge of the bed. It became obvious at once that he had not wanted to wake Merlin despite the fact that he wanted to lay beside him. Merlin smiled and slipped an arm around Arthur's bare waist. Arthur turned his head to smile at Merlin, and pulled his manservant closer; resting his hand over Merlin's when he felt the younger man was close enough. Merlin buried his head in Arthur's shoulder, and Arthur laced his fingers with Merlin's and they fell asleep together, holding each other, clinging to each other, loving each other.

And when they awoke in the morning, there was no question as to where they were at in their relationship.

--

4 – The night that Merlin confessed

Merlin and Arthur had been curled up in bed together, next to a roaring fire when Merlin felt the sudden urge to confess his deepest secret to Arthur. He was abruptly so overcome with guilt, that he felt if he didn't confess his secret to Arthur right then and there, then Arthur would never trust him again.

"Arthur," Merlin said, the tone of his voice making it apparent that he had something serious to say.

"Mmmm..?" Arthur replied in question, making it obvious that he was almost asleep and that now was not the time for important conversation.

"I need to tell you something. It's important." Merlin whispered, fear choking his voice. Still Arthur did not seem to realise how important Merlin's impending admission was.

"Hmmm k...." he mumbled as he pulled the covers tighter around himself.

"ARTHUR! I'm serious," Merlin cried, pulling himself free from Arthur's hold in hope that it might wake him up a little. A sleepy Arthur simply turned over and buried his head in the pillow.

"I know," he mumbled. Merlin sighed and gave Arthur a playful clip round the ear.

"Then wake up!" he demanded.

"I am awake," Arthur insisted with a muffled giggle that only seemed to infuriate Merlin more.

"Sit up! I have something serious to tell you!" Merlin yelled, as he attempted to pull Arthur up into a sitting position. Arthur sighed and rolled over again, so that he was on his back, looking up into Merlin's eyes.

"Merlin. I know" He maintained, an eyebrow raised. "I'm not stupid, and I'm not blind. I know you're a sorcerer. I have known for some time." Merlin suddenly felt very sick. Arthur _knew. _He _knew! _For how long? Why hadn't he turned him into Uther? Why hadn't he killed him himself? Why was he still sharing a bed with him?

"I... how... and.... what?" Merlin muttered, unable to form a coherent sentence. Arthur beamed at him.

"It was the reason I ran away... the night we first kissed. When we were looking into each other's eyes, yours flashed gold and I knew, and I ran because I was falling in love with you, but you were a sorcerer and for hours I didn't know what to do. I sat in bed and thought it over all day and half the night. And that's when I realised I missed you. And suddenly I didn't care about the magic. All I cared about was you. So I came to you. Because I know you Merlin, you are no threat to Camelot, no threat to me or my father. You're just my loveable idiot of a manservant, all you want in the world is to make sure that I am happy and safe and well." Merlin stopped his speech there with a kiss. He knew he could hear no more for fear that he would burst into endless floods of tears.

"Why didn't you tell me!" he whispered after he finally found the strength to pull away. Arthur smiled and reached out to tuck a stray hair behind Merlin's hair.

"I was waiting for you to be ready to tell me," he whispered. Merlin beamed a smile so wide it hurt.

"I love you..." he whispered, leaning down for another kiss.

"Love you too," Arthur whispered back as their lips connected once again.

--

3 – The night they first said those words

Just days after Merlin awoke to find Arthur in his bed, word reached Camelot that a strange beast, thought to be of magical origin, had been spotted wandering the outskirts of Camelot. Uther was unsure whether to trust his informant, who was known throughout the Kingdom as a man who would do anything for a bit of gold, so only Arthur and Merlin were sent. As it turns out, the mythical beast was no more than an abandoned horse that had obviously been caught up in a vicious attack. It was wounded badly, and so Arthur put it out of its misery with a quick swipe of his sword, despite Merlin's protests that it was an innocent animal and that surely someone in Camelot could nurse it back to health.

"Arthur how could you do such a thing to such a helpless creature?" Merlin had demanded as they began the journey home. Arthur had laughed and pulled a face,

"Merlin, it was dying. I was putting it out of its misery," he insisted. Merlin turned to glare at him.

"Someone in Camelot could have nursed it back to help!" Merlin maintained, making it clear that he was not backing down on the matter. Arthur sighed.

"So you would have me leave my horse here, so that I might walk a wounded one back to Camelot?" he questioned. Merlin frowned.

"You could have walked both at once!" he said. "Or I could have. I gladly would have!" Arthur simply laughed.

"But then you would not be able to keep up with me! And what would happen if I were to come under attack? I'd have no weapons to defend myself with," he joked, trying his best to lighten the mood. Merlin said nothing. "Merlin! Come on, you knew as well as I that the horse had minutes left, if that," Still Merlin said nothing. "Merlin! Speak to me!" Still, nothing. "Merlin, I've upset you haven't I?"

"My feelings don't matter to you, do they?" he asked. Arthur felt his jaw drop. How could Merlin think such a thing?

"Merlin your feelings mean everything to me!" Arthur promised.

"Then why did you kill that horse?" Merlin whispered with a pout.

"It was suffering Merlin... I couldn't let it live like that,"

"Someone could have helped it,"

"We don't know that!"

"You don't care about what I think! You're Arthur Pendragon, Crown Prat of Camelot. What I think is beneath you!"

"Of course I care about what you think Merlin, I love you!" Merlin stopped his horse in its tracks.

"What?" he whispered, so softly he wasn't sure if Arthur had heard. Arthur too stopped his horse, and turned round to beam at Merlin.

"I said I love you," he repeated.

"Really?" Merlin asked, not quite daring to believe it. Arthur laughed and nodded.

"Yes! Of course I do!" he chuckled.

"You know I love you too right?" Merlin questioned. Arthur laughed again, dismounted his horse and walked over to where Merlin's stood.

"Yeah..." he whispered as he pulled Merlin down into a kiss.

--

2 – The night they first made love

It happened without warning, without planning, without so much as a kiss. But suddenly they were _there_. Clothes were torn in a desperate effort to be rid of them. Furniture was knocked over as they tried in vain to reach the bed before passion over took them. Bruises' formed as they crashed to the floor in a fog of lust, which had cleared their vision of all but each other. Fiery flesh was grasped at by frantic hands, shaking lips were calmed by sweet kisses, unprepared bodies were readied with slick oil and probing fingers.

And then it happened. He had Arthur inside him. Inside him and around him. Arthur's cold fingers grasped his throbbing erection, stroking it with the same slow rhythm as his thrusts in and out of Merlin's body. And everything was tight, his stomach, his throat, his cock and his ass. But it was a good kind of tight, a tight that sent wave after wave of almost unbearable pleasure through his body.

And then all too soon, it was over. The tightness increased, and the pleasure hit overdrive, and suddenly a hot white substance was everywhere. Merlin could feel it inside of him too, but right now he didn't care. He simply laid there, hot, sweaty and sleepy, in his lovers arms, completely overcome with the waves of happiness that had taken over his mind entirely.

--

1 – The night Arthur announced his love for Merlin to the entire court

Merlin often questioned Arthurs love for him. Could it be that he was simply having a bit of fun? Experimenting? Getting his kicks before he became King and was forced to produce an heir?

Merlin never voiced his concerns, but he was sure Arthur picked up on them, because one day, when the entire court of Camelot was in the banquet hall, Arthur stood up, and called out for everyone's attention.

"I just wanted to say, while everyone was here, that I am in love!" Arthur declared the second all attention was on him. Uther gave his son a confused, sceptical look as a wave of applause broke out amongst the rest of the court. Merlin simply blushed and ducked his head. Was Arthur really doing this? Here? Now?

"Who's the lucky lady?" Sir Leon question as the applause died down and silence fell over the court.

"Lady?" Arthur questioned, pretending to look confused. "I never said I loved a lady," The members of the court exchanged bewildered glances and questionable mumblings.

"You mean to tell me Arthur, that you love a man?" Uther raged, silencing everyone in an instant. Arthur simply grinned at his father.

"Why yes father, that is exactly what I'm saying," Arthur said. He grabbed Merlin by the arm, and dragged him to his feet. "This man," Merlin blushed and growled in Arthur's ear.

"Have you gone insane!" he demanded. Arthur did not reply, for Uther was speaking

"What the hell has gotten into you boy? Do you want Camelot to fall? Is that it? Do you want to see an end to the Pendragon legacy?" Uther bellowed, his eyes wide and bulging.

"Merlin is what has got into me." Arthur said. "And no father, I do not want to bring down Camelot, or see the Pendragon line end. I will produce an heir, when the time comes. I will marry and make a woman my Queen. But I'm promising you that the relationship will be there purely to produce an successor. Nothing more. I love Merlin, I always have and I always will. Nothing you can say will ever change that. And if you dare to anything to him, or to me, I can promise you now that I will never produce an child, meaning an end to the Pendragon line. An end to your legacy!" And then Arthur sat down, pulled Merlin down with him, and continued with his work as if nothing had happened. For a few seconds, silence fell over the court, but it wasn't long before the usual babble and chatter broke out again. Merlin didn't look up to see Uther's reaction to his son's words, for he had caught Arthur's lips in a kiss, and nothing else was important at that time. For now he knew. Arthur loved him, loved him and no other. And would go to any length to prove it. So that night, over every other, was the best night of Merlin's life.


	11. Chapter 11

Day 11 – 9/11

_**Note – This one is a bit short and of course, delayed, as my dog had her pups this afternoon! She had 7 in all, 3 girls, 4 boys! No stillborns. Mother and puppies are doing well!**_

--

"Merlin..?" Arthur questioned, gesturing at his raven haired friend with his beer. The beer fizzed and bubbled at the jerking movement, its contents spilled onto the floor. Merlin sighed.

"Arthur. I am trying to study!" he said through gritted teeth. "And be careful with that beer, I want my security deposit back." Arthur frowned, but placed the beer on the table nevertheless.

"There you go _your highness_!" he said sarcastically as he pretended to give Merlin a bow. Merlin glared at Arthur over the top of his overly-thick text book, and gave him a swift kick. "OW!" Arthur cried as he rubbed his arm. He pouted for extra effect, but Merlin simply rolled his eyes.

"So what exactly did you want?" Merlin questioned, his attention focused less on Arthur, and more on the overly-thick text book in his hands.

"You know how in like, America, you dial 911 instead of like, 999?" Arthur mumbled as we twirled the beer in his can. The beer, much to his amusement, had created a small whirlpool.

"Yes," Merlin said with a sigh, wondering what the hell the drunken fool was on about. Arthur however, was totally caught up in the whirlpool of beer. So Merlin kicked him. Again.

"Hey! What was that one for?" Arthur asked as he playfully hit Merlin's lower legs.

"My answer to your question, about 911 not 999, is yes," Merlin groaned, not even bothering to look up from his book.

"Well, is it because of 9/11?" Arthur asked, sounding serious. Merlin was so taken aback by Arthur's words, that he lowered his overly-thick text book.

"What?" he asked, an eyebrow raised in utter bewilderment.

"911... its 911, cause of 9/11 right? Cause people, they remember easier... cause the numbers are the same. Nine. One. One." Arthur insisted, counting on the numbers on his fingers as he did so. He got them wrong.

"Arthur you Prat, it was sheer coincidence!" Merlin laughed, going back to his book.

"But wasn't it 999?" Arthur questioned, scratching his head in confusion. Merlin sighed again.

"No Arthur, that's our number. Here in Great Britain," he said.

"But..."

"Arthur! You are drunk. You are not making any sense! I suggest you shut up before you disturb my revision any further!" Merlin said firmly, trying his best not to sound like he was ordering Arthur around. Arthur detested being ordered around.

"You're revising?" Arthur questioned, looking baffled.

"Yes Arthur. Some of us came to Oxford to _learn_, not to get pissed at every given moment!" Merlin waiting for Arthur to say something rude and sarcastic, but it never came, for Arthur had fallen asleep. Merlin frowned, but still took the time to wrap Arthur up in his blanket.

He may have come to Oxford to learn, but when was he ever going to learn that Arthur just wasn't good enough?


	12. Chapter 12

Day 12 – 12 Steps to becoming free of Magic's.

--

Step 1 – We admitted that we are too powerful, and that our powers ultimately, rule us.

Step 2 – Came to believe that the great Uther Pendragon will restore us to normal, and rid us of this great evil!

Step 3 – Made a decision to turn our lives into the control of Uther Pendragon, as he is our great King.

Step 4 – Made an inventory of all our magic's and how they have wronged ourselves, and others.

Step 5 – Admitted to Uther Pendragon, ourselves, and the entire court of Camelot the exact nature of our powers.

Step 6 – Were entirely ready to have Uther Pendragon rid us of these evils, or face penalty of death.

Step 7 - Humbly asked Uther Pendragon, our great and noble ruler to forgive our sins against his Kingdom

Step 8 - Made a list of all persons we had killed with our magic, and be willing to make amends to them in Avalon

Step 9 - Made direct attempts to resurrect said people wherever possible, except when to do so would risk the life of someone that is not a sorcerer

Step 10 - Continued to take inventory off our magic's, and when they are used, admit them or face death

Step 11 - Sought through begging and bribery to improve our relations with Uther Pendragon, asking only for his help in ridding ourselves of magic's, and the powers we possess.

Step 12 - Having had our magic's and sins removed as a result of these steps, we try and carry this message to other sorcerers and to remember that magic is evil!


	13. Chapter 13

Day 13 – Friday 13th

--

It started as soon as we woke up. The very second he stepped out of bed; Gaius caught his nightshirt on a loose nail that was sticking out of his closet. Not only did his night shirt rip as he tried to pull it free, but the closet fell over too, missing him by mere inches! Gaius frowned and cursed as he tidied up the resulting mess, but put it down to fate. That nail had been loose for some time; it was an accident waiting to happen.

It was during breakfast, that he thought that maybe something weird was going on. He was spooning porridge into a bowl, from the pot hovering over the fire, when the bottom of said pot just... split! The bottom came away and the remaining contents spilled spectacularly onto the fire below, sending out the most horrid of smells into the room.

"Gaius what the hell is that smell?" Merlin asked, sticking his head out his room much earlier than normal.

"The porridge spilled onto the fire. The bottom of the pot just came away. It was the most unusual of occurrence's." Gaius said as he put on the fire, so that he could sort out the mess. However, as he started to mop up the splatter that had reached the floor, the mop clipped the chair, knocking it over. The chair then crashed into the table, shaking it so much, that all of Gaius's potions and products spilled or rolled onto the floor. "Oh my, what a mess," sighed Gaius as Merlin chuckled.

"Might have something to do with the date," he said as he slipped into his jacket and grabbed an unsoiled slice of bread from the table. Gaius stopped what he was doing to give Merlin a bemused look.

"Date?" He questioned. His memory was so terrible; he could never remember the date. He had no idea what year they were in, let alone anything else!

"It's Friday the 13th Gaius," Merlin laughed as he shoved the piece of bread in his mouth. He muttered something about a hunting trip with Arthur as he bumbled out of the door sleepily. Gaius sighed as he left. He'd heard about Friday the 13th, apparently the most cursed day of the year. He had never believed in such nonsense before, but now he was beginning to wonder if the day really was cursed. He decided to look the mater up, once he had finished cleaning up. It took him a good hour, and in that time he managed to fall over twice and he managed to break his glasses.

"Maybe there is some truth to the rumour," he muttered as he examined his glasses with a bleak expression.

For hours it seemed, he poured over book after book, never once finding even the slightest reference to the date. The only time the date was mentioned, was in fictional stories where the main character had befallen a seemingly endless run of bad luck, ending only at the stroke of midnight, when it was Friday 13th no more. Gaius grew more and more restless with every useless book that passed under his nose. There had to be some truth to the curse, _had to be!_ How else did he explain the day's events? (While he had been reading, one of his windows had been smashed by a young child playing ball, he had ripped a page of one of his rarest books and he had received a word that Merlin and Arthur were missing.) Finally, as darkness fell over Camelot, Gaius decided it was time to talk to Uther. If Arthur was missing, he had to know about the possible curse of Friday 13th. While he might not have proof, it was something to go on. Something that could aid the King in the search for his son and his son's manservant.

Gaius was granted an audience with the King straight away.

"Sire, I believe I know the reason behind Arthur and Merlin's disappearance," He said with a bow. Uther immediately sat up straighter in his throne.

"You have found evidence that suggests where they might be?" he questioned, leaning forward in anticipation. Gaius shook his head.

"No sire, my theory is just that, a theory. I have been researching the curse all day, but have found nothing to back up my theories'. However there is always truth behind rumour, and I am determined to out the truth," Gaius said forlornly. Uther frowned.

"I don't understand Gaius," he said as he rubbed his chin in misunderstanding.

"Today is Friday 13th; a day rumoured to be cursed. While I don't believe the rumour, the run of bad luck in Camelot today has made me believe otherwise. Maybe a sorcerer has placed a curse on our fair Kingdom; maybe the rumours are true," Gaius frowned as he caught the expression on Uther's face. His King was smirking at him. Smirking! How could he have such an expression on his face when his son was missing.

"Who told you it was Friday 13th?" he asked, a laugh forcing its way through his lips at the same time. Gaius frowned.

"Merlin sire," he said. Uther and the court suddenly burst out laughing.

"Gaius you fool! It's April 1st!" Uther laughed. "It seems Merlin and Arthur have played a bit of a trick on you," Uther said, a grin filling his face. He turned to Sir Leon and asked, "Sir Leon, do you know about this?" Sir Leon smiled and nodded.

"Yes Sire! Merlin and Arthur fought it would be funny to trick Gaius into believing it was Friday 13th, and that the day was cursed. They are hiding in a cave not far from here. Would you like me to collect them?" he asked. Uther nodded.

"Yes, bring them back at once. I want to thank them for putting a smile on my face, Too long it has been, since I last laughed like this!" the King said as Gaius ducked his head to hide his shame. "Come now Gaius, don't be embarrassed!" The King insisted. "We shall get them back when they return. They managed to fool me into thinking they were missing. I believe it to be time for someone to mess with them," Gaius laughed as he felt his cheeks cool down and return to their normal colour.

"Indeed Sire, but, what do we do?"

Merlin and Arthur returned to Camelot that evening not a moment too soon. It was just 5 minutes to midnight. Five minutes in which Uther and Gaius had left to fool their idiot sons and apprentice's. Merlin and Arthur were immediately sent to Uther's chambers, were they found there King in a terrible state. Pale and sweaty, he looked but minutes from death.

"Father! Father, wake up!" Arthur demanded, running to the King the second he saw what condition he was in. Uther remained practically lifeless and did not respond. "Merlin! Do not just stand there! Help me!" Arthur demanded, turning to yell at his manservant. Missing the smirk on Uther's face. Merlin raced forward and immediately felt for a pulse in the King's neck. (Gaius had given the King a potion that would slow his heart rate and make it almost impossible for someone to find,) He found none.

"Arthur... I think he's dead..." Merlin whispered sadly, placing a tender hand on Arthur's shoulder. The Prince shrugged it off at once, took hold of his Father's limp form, and began shaking it at once.

"NO! No, he is still alive I assure you! Father! Father, I demand that you awaken at once!" Arthur pleaded, tears streaming down his face. When Uther did not respond, even after minutes of Arthur's mad behaviour, Arthur finally came to the conclusion that Merlin was right, and that his father was dead. "Merlin... I think he's... gone..." Arthur muttered, before breaking into sobs. Merlin pulled his friend close, rubbed his shoulder nervously.

"There there Arthur... maybe he didn't-" But Merlin did not get to finish, because the King had sat up in bed, still looking pale, dead. The King's head tilted to one side, his mouth drooped open, allowing saliva to drool onto his chin. "Oh dear god..." he whispered, causing Arthur to turn round. Upon catching sight of his father, Arthur screamed.

"Merlin run! RUN!" He yelled, fleeing he room without a backwards glance. Merlin was behind him in a second, and their shrieks could be heard through the castle.

As soon as they were out of sight, Uther's face returned to normal, and Gaius appeared from under the bed, both laughing their heads off.


	14. Chapter 14

Day 14 – February 14th

--

Merlin didn't know who the rose came from, didn't know who had slipped into his room in the night and left the solitary flower on his bedside table. The only clue he had, was the note that was tied to its thorny stem.

_Love will come to those who wait, who ignore all else, and linger for fate, my heart is yours, ready to take, I just pray that when you know, you will not hate._

Merlin examined the note closely, hoping to see something in the handwriting that might give his admirer away. However it soon became apparent that whoever left him the rose, had not written the note in their regular handwriting.

"Merlin breakfast is ready," Gaius called from the other room. Merlin sighed, pulled on his jacket and slipped out the door. (But not before placing the rose in some water)

"Gaius did anyone come into your chambers after I went to bed last night?" he asked casually, helping himself to an apple as he did so. Gaius, who wasn't really paying attention, simply shook his head. "Are you sure?" Merlin persisted. Gaius raised an eyebrow and turned to face his young apprentice.

"Merlin did something happen in the night?" Gaius questioned with a frown. Merlin shook his head.

"No! I mean... no.... must have just been a nightmare," Merlin said, bumbling over his words as he tried to cover up his secret. Gaius shook his head sympathetically as he patted Merlin on the shoulder.

"Would you like me to make you a tonic?" He asked. Merlin shook his head.

"No... I'm sure it was just a one-off," Merlin sighed . "I better be off, Arthur will be mad if I'm late again,"

--

"Ah Merlin!" Arthur cried as his young manservant entered. Merlin was shocked to see that Arthur was up, dressed and... holding a bunch of freshly picked violets. Flowers that often grew outside Guinevere's front door. "They're from Gwen!" he beamed. "Now we just have to pretend they are from Morgana, or my father will make certain that they are thrown out,"

"Of course sire," he said, unable to hide his own smile. He was so glad that something was working out between the two of them. "Would you like me to send something back to her?" Arthur shook his head.

"Already taken care of Merlin," he said as he tucked the card that came with the flowers into a pocket on the chest of his shirt. "Oh and Merlin?" Arthur questioned before Merlin could even begin to clean his chambers.

"Yes sire?" Merlin asked.

"Tell no one," Arthur said, hitting Merlin round the back of his head as he did so, as if he were trying to knock the answer permanently into Merlin's mind.

"Of course sire," he said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Tell them what?" he grinned. Arthur simply smiled at him.

Merlin pondered as he cleaned Arthur's room. Who had sent him that rose? _WHO?_ It could not have been Gwen. She had sent violet's to Arthur. And it could not have been Arthur, for he had sent Lily's to Gwen. He was rather pleased that Gwen and Arthur were secretly trying to make a go of things. They deserved to be happy together! And to be truthful, he wasn't attracted to either of them. Not really. (Ok, so maybe he'd had a few dreams about marrying Guinevere, and a few about making love to Arthur, but they didn't _mean_ anything! Did they..?)

--

"My Lady, who do you think sent those tulips?" Guinevere questioned her mistress as they watched Arthur and the knights train. Merlin perked his ears up, and listened closely for Morgana's reply.

"Surely it would have been obvious to you Gwen," she said with a laugh. "You off all people know who slips into my room in the dead of night,"

"I was certain my lady, that Sir Leon's intentions were not entirely honourable," Gwen said, sounding shocked.

"They are very honourable Gwen, we only ever talk. He was simply scared of Uther's reaction is all. Seems he finally realised that he is a suitable match in Uther's eyes," Morgana beamed. Sir Leon must have felt his ears burning, for he turned to smile at the Lady Morgana – earning himself a telling off from Arthur for doing so.

So it wasn't Morgana, and it wasn't Sir Leon! Merlin was at a loss. There was no one else it could be! There was no one else he was close to... unless?

"Gaius?" Merlin cried as he stormed into the Physicians room in a lost mix of fury and disgust.

"Whatever is the matter Merlin?" Gaius said, looking up at Merlin from... a bunch of flowers.

"I... er... who are they from?" Merlin questioned, his anger melting away in a second. Gaius beamed.

"They are from Elizabeth, the castle cook," he said proudly. "I have been trying to woo her for a while, and it seems my efforts have paid off,"

"That's... great..." Merlin said, trying to hide his obvious disgust. Surely Gaius was too old to date...

"Clearly you think so," said Gaius, his eyes sparkling in amusement. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to thank Elizabeth," Merlin groaned as Gaius left. Now there was no one left in Camelot that could have possibly left him that rose! No one! Merlin sighed and decided to have an early night. He had developed quite a headache from trying to work out who could have sent him that rose. He yawned, stretched and closed his eyes as he pushed open his chamber doors, not seeing who was sat atop of his bed, swirling the rose in between their fingers.

"Merlin, I take it you were unable to work out that it was I that sent you that rose," came a familiar voice. Merlin froze and snapped his eyes wide open. Could it be? Not in his wildest dreams did he ever think that this person could ever like him.

"My lord," Merlin said, with a bow to his King. Uther smiled and waved his hand.

"There is no need for that Merlin," he said. "Now, what I need to know is, do you feel the same?"

Merlin didn't respond; he simply shut his door...


	15. Chapter 15

Day 15 – 15

--

"Does this make me look older?" Merlin questioned as he fluffed up his hair – as was the fashion with the older teenagers at his school. Arthur frowned and stood back, so that he could see all of Merlin.

"No, it just makes you look like a twit!" he frowned. "What about me? Do I look older?" he asked as he buttoned up one of his father's shirts. It was, let's be honest here, drowning him. But Arthur didn't care. He needed to look _older. _Merlin laughed, laughed so hard he was bent double, clinging to his sides for dear life, hoping against hope that he would not split his seams. Arthur gave a small growl of antagonism and ripped the shirt off without another word, not caring that he had pulled loose some of the buttons. "Stop laughing idiot! We need to find a way to look older!" Merlin fought back his laughs, dragged in a few breaths in order to calm himself.

"Ok ok... I think maybe we should wear jumpers, but more than one, and then it looks like we have muscles!" he exclaimed happily, rushing over to the wardrobe as he did so. He immediately tugged on a few jumpers, struggling to top them all off with his favoured red one. It was tight against his overly covered chest.

"Merlin you genius!" Arthur cried, "For once you have come up with a brilliant suggestion," Merlin's eyes widened.

"I thought I always came up with good ideas," he said, sounding shocked. Arthur simply laughed.

"Yes Merlin, as much as I am a coward," he said. "Now we just have to think up a way to make our face's look older. I don't think pimple's help," Arthur moved over to the mirror on his wall, and immediately began to examine his face.

"Does Morgana have make up?" Merlin asked. Arthur laughed.

"I take back what I said before Merlin, you seem to be full of good ideas tonight,"

Merlin and Arthur slipped quietly into Morgana's room. She was at Gwen's, but who knows what kind of cootie filled booby traps could be lingering behind those doors? They flicked on the light, and sighed in relief as they found that Morgana's room was just that – Morgana's room. With its lilac walls and posters of Johnny Depp, it looked the same as it did every day.

"Come on Merlin! And be careful, Morgana is a proper Monica about her room. If anything is left out of place, she _will_ know," Arthur whispered as he sat himself down at Morgana's pre-lit film star style vanity mirror. In front of it sat a million and one bottles of god-knows what. Lipsticks, _**concealer**_, foundations and eye shadows. Arthur had no idea where to begin.

"What about her _**concealer**_?" Merlin questioned as he picked up a bottle.

"Yes that would be the most obvious option, but look! It's way too dark for our skin... especially yours! No, we need something else," Arthur insisted, snatching the bottle back and carefully placing it back in the same position it was in before.

"That stuff there.... the eye shadow... that's almost the exact same colour as your skin!" Merlin cried excitedly as he pointed out the small pot. Arthur picked it up and compared his skin to the powdery product. They almost matched.

"Ok, I'll use this to cover my spots, but what about you? This is far too dark for your skin," he insisted.

"Maybe if I mix it with that white eye shadow," Merlin asked, pointing out the white powder that was sitting only a few inches away. Arthur grabbed the younger boys hand and smeared a little of each eye shadow onto his palm. He rubbed them together and then examined the result.

"Yeah, that'll do," he said. "Now help me get this stuff on my face, we have to leave soon!" Merlin stuck his fingers into the powder and started to run it against Arthurs skin, paying particular attention to those area's with the worst blemishes. Arthur scrunched up his face, "Merlin! You are not scrubbing a stain of my face, be gentle!" he cried, furiously swatting Merlin's hand out of the way.

"Sorry, sorry..." Merlin stuttered. "It's not like I've ever done this before!" Arthur laughed.

"I'm sure that's true Merlin, now, are you done?" he asked. Merlin stood back so that he could see Arthur's face in the light. It looked a little... crumbly... but there was no trace of a spot or blemish anywhere on his face.

"I think so," he said. Arthur turned back to the mirror and frowned.

"I guess that will have to do... now let me do you,"

--

Merlin and Arthur stood in line to get tickets to the film 'The Dark Abyss', rated 15, totally oblivious to the stares and giggles around them. They looked like what they were – two 12 year old boys dressed in half a dozen jumpers each with enough make up on their face's to cover up their entire bodies. Arthur had not noticed, that Merlin's face was streaky with white and skin coloured make-up, and Merlin in turn had failed to notice that clumps of eye shadow were lingering in Arthur's eyebrows. Both believed they had pulled it off and that they looked big, full of muscles and at the youngest, 15.

"This is going to be the best! Wait to we tell Morgana and Gwen that we got into a 15!" Arthur bragged as they stepped closer to the front of the line.

"It's going to be so funny," Merlin said. "They'll be begging us for every detail of the film, and we won't say anything," And then suddenly they were at the front of the line. They gave each other one last smile before stepping forward.

"Two tickets to 'The Dark Abyss' please," Arthur asked, holding out a £10 note. The bored cashier took one look at the both of them and said,

"I.D. please," Merlin and Arthur exchanged an anxious glance, before they ran off without another word.

Later, they sat and watched as the audience for 'The Dark Abyss' filled out. They had gone to see something else instead, but had decided to hang around and listen in on peoples conversations as they made their way out of the theatre, so they could try and work out what happened in the movie. That way they could still say they had been. Of course, what they weren't expecting to see was Morgana and Gwen. The two teenage girls, both the same age as Merlin and Arthur, sauntered out of the theatre in a fit of giggles. Neither had bothered to dress up, to alter their appearances or anything. Arthur and Merlin ducked into the men's room as the girls came past, hoping against hope that they hadn't been spotted. Pity they had really...


	16. Chapter 16

_**Late and not my best. I've really not been feeling my best recently. I've decided that men are wanker's! Want to know why? Lol just message me! **_

_Just____to tell you guys that my Bradley James - One Fateful Night fic has been moved to my livejournal account! Can't link here but it's basically__** http://**__ then __**bonevalo. **__then stick in the __**livejournal **__just add __**.com**__ on the end, and hey-ho theres my journal! It should contain all backdated chapters of my fic!_

--

Day 16 – Sweet 16

--

When the Lady Morgana was born, every important person in the Kingdom was invited to her christening. Kings and Queens, lords and Lady's, Sorcerers and warlocks alike. Everyone that is, but a powerful sorceress by the name of Lucia. There was no reason for Lucia not being invited, other than the fact that she was simply forgotten. She wasn't a regular guest at the castle, and so no one had thought to invite her. Problem is, she took a disliking to this, and swore revenge on those she had once considered friends. In a whirlwind of fire and flames, she appeared out of thin air just as the King and Queen happily displayed their newly christened daughter for all to see. Despite the pleas of the King and Queen, their insistence that her presence was wanted, and had simply been forgotten, Lucia placed a spell on their new born daughter. A curse that assured her a terrible fate just after her 16th birthday. A curse that meant on her 16th birthday, the Lady Morgana would reveal her powers, and would be executed for treason and crimes against the Kingdom within the week. Everyone laughed at the time, magic was allowed in the kingdom, who would kill her for such a thing, but none could have foretold the events that followed.

When the Lady Morgana was just 2 years old, her mother died while giving birth to a son – who also died during the birth. She was left motherless, and her father refused to remarry out of love and devotion to his late queen.

When the Lady Morgana was just 5 years old, her father's Kingdom face war and conflict. Her father had no choice but to go into battle. Knowing he was about to die, he left Morgana in the care of King Uther and his wife Igraine, rulers of neighbouring Kingdom Camelot. He died not but 5 days later, having never told Morgana's guardians about the curse that was upon her.

When the Lady Morgana was just 7 years old, Queen Igraine gave birth to a son, an heir, Arthur. Shortly thereafter, she died, having been taken to restore the natural balance of the world, as Arthur had been conceived by magic. Just days later, Uther outlawed magic, never knowing that his young ward would reveal her powers at the age of 16, never knowing that he would be the one to condemn her to death...

--

"Sire... something strange just happened in the Lady Morgana's chambers," Morgana's maidservant, Alice informed the King at 1am on the morning of her Lady's 16th birthday. She was shaking to her very core, she was stood before her King, accusing his ward of using magic's.

"Strange? How so?" the King asked lazily. He was sure that his ward was just having her.. womanly part of the month, and that her new maid was overreacting to her strange behaviour.

"I believe it may have been magic sire," she whispered, ducking her head to avoid the harsh gaze of her sovereign. "The Lady Morgana... she was speaking in her sleep, words as clear as my own now... but words that made no sense. The words of magic. And then it appeared... a dog, a small ratty little thing not dissimilar to the one she owned as a young girl," the maid paused to take a breath, to listen to anything Uther had to say. Uther however, stayed silent, so she continued. "It disappeared the second she awoke my lord, and she had no recollection of it at all," Uther stared down at the servant, wishing somehow that he could work out if she were lying. He could not. Magic was so feared and distrusted in Camelot, that no one dared to report it unless they were sure they had seen sorcery being performed. This young maid was no different. However, Uther Pendragon was reluctant to believe his young ward was capable of magic. He had the maid locked away, but on the promise that her Lady would be watched very carefully. If she did not show signs of having magic's in a week, then the maid would be executed. If she did then, well... the King couldn't even begin to imagine what he would do to the girl we so willingly treated as his own. Hers would be the biggest betrayal of all.

All day he watched her, his eyes boring into hers, waiting for the slightest change in their colour. Waiting for a flash of gold. It never came. It was the same the next day, and the next... Morgana noticed Uther's constant staring, his unease around her, his coldness towards her and confronted him about it.

"Sire, ever since my birthday, you have been acting very strangely around me. I can't remember any time since then, that your eyes have not been looking straight into mine." She said, head held high. She suspected why Uther might be acting the way he was, but did not want to believe it. She was his ward for heaven's sake! And like a father to her! How could he even consider wanting her as his bride?

"I do apologise my Lady," Uther said, clasping his young wards hand in his. "I did not mean to cause you any unrest, please, accept my apology," he gave a slight bow of his head, and kissed the Lady Morgana's gloved fingers. She gulped and nodded frantically, trying desperately to think of a way to get herself out of the room. "Would you care to join me for dinner? I have some matters that I need to discuss with you. Camelot's future, my future, could depend on the outcome," Uther was shocked when Morgana pulled her hand away with quite some force.

"No! No I refuse to be your bride!" she screamed furiously. Uther raised an eyebrow in shock. _Bride? _Where on earth did she get that idea from?

"Morgana, child, come now..." he said reaching out to take her hand again.

"Don't you touch me!" she cried out, pushing herself against the wall in a vain attempt to get away. Uther, worried for his ward now, moved forward anyway, and tried to put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You have this all wrong Morgana..." he whispered. He managed to place a hand on her shoulder, but it stayed there for all but a second. The Lady's eyes flashed a brilliant gold and Uther found himself being flung across the room. The Lady Morgana was seized before Uther even hit the floor.

"Please! No... I did not know I could be capable of magic's.... let me go! My Lord please listen..!" Morgana begged as she was dragged from the room by two of Uther's guards. Uther ignored her cries, and simply lay on the floor in total disbelief. His ward, the girl he considered a daughter, was a sorcerer! She was plotting against him, his Kingdom, and everything he stood for. For that, she would die!

And the next morning, just as Lucia had predicted, Morgana was lead to the chopping block, despite her plea's of innocence. Her word's went unheard, drowned out by the jeers and hissing of the crowd. But she did not die, no, her fear and feelings of betrayal trigged her magic and she disappeared in a whirlwind of smoke just seconds before the axe came down. And now she sites, ready and waiting, to bring revenge to Uther...


	17. Chapter 17

_**Late as well, and short. As I said before, Men are wanker's and they fuck up your life without even pausing to think about it! It's all put me into a runt of writers block and I hate it!**_

_Just to tell you guys that my Bradley James - One Fateful Night fic has been moved to my livejournal account! Can't link here but it's basically__** http://**__ then __**bonevalo. **__then stick in the __**livejournal **__just add __**.com**__ on the end, and hey-ho there's my journal! It should contain all backdated chapters of my fic!_

_--_

Day 17 – 17 again

_--_

Uther's life changed most drastically at the age of 17, and he often wishes he could go back to being that age, for, when he was 17. He made mistakes that have haunted him ever since.

These are the things he would change –

-It was just after his 17th birthday, that he met his wife Igraine. He gave everything up for her. He was set to marry another woman, the daughter of a King from a neighbouring Kingdom. But he defied his father and married Igraine in secret. If he could go back, and do it all over again... he wouldn't. He would marry the young girl originally meant for him. He would listen to his father, and he would turn his back on love for the sake of Camelot's future. For his future. He would turn his back on Igraine in order to save her from the terrible fate he would bring upon her in years to come.

-At the age of 17, Uther meet for the first time, the sorceress Nimueh. She soon became a close friend, a trusted advisor, and later when Uther became King, an important ally to his Kingdom. But then she unwittingly betrayed him. She gave him the son he so desperately wanted, but failed to tell him that his beloved Igraine would be taken in order to restore the natural balance of the world. If he could go back to when he was 17, he would have executed Nimueh at the first given opportunity.

- A mere month after Uther's 17th birthday, he went into battle for the first time. It was there that he killed a man for the first time outside of Knight's battles and challenge's from foe's. It hit him hard. It was one thing to kill a man when he threatened Camelot, it was one thing to kill a man who so willingly put himself in a Knight's challenge, it was another thing to kill a man who so obviously did not want to fight a war. The young man that Uther killed may have been wielding a sword, but he was using it purely to defend himself. His behaviour during the battle made it obvious that he had been forced to fight for his Kingdom, that he was scared for his life, and that he did not want to kill another. Uther was forced to kill him when the young man unwittingly swung at the soon to be King. Uther had scared him, made him jump, and he did the natural thing, and swung his sword at Uther. Uther will never forget the look of fear, of pain, and of regret that stayed on that young man's face even after death. And so if Uther had to go back, and do it all over again, he would spare the life of the young man, and he would tell him to run. To run, and to never look back.

-When he was 17, Uther decided that he wanted a son. A son named Arthur. His older cousin's had all recently had children, families and he soon longed for his own. He watched the way his family were with their children, and envied the close family circuit they all had. Envied the fact that those children's fathers could spend time with them, envied the fact that those children did not have to learn from birth, how it wield a sword, a joust, a maze. Uther envied the normality that these people had, and wished that he could have it for himself. He decided when he was 17, that he would marry and have a son named Arthur, and he would give up his throne for the sake of his family, who he would protect till the very end. Uther wishes he could go back, and do it all again. For he would listen to his 17 year old self, and he would give up his crown for his family. And maybe then, things would be right in his world...

Of course, Uther Pendragon could never be 17 again. Not without the help of magic...


	18. Chapter 18

_Just to tell you guys that my Bradley James - One Fateful Night fic has been moved to my livejournal account! Can't link here but its basically__** http://**__ then __**bonevalo. **__then stick in the __**livejournal **__just add __**.com**__ on the end, and hey-ho theres my journal! It should contain all backdated chapters of my fic!_

--

Day 18 – 18th

--

**PRINCE ARTHUR TOO DRUNK TO STAND – SPENDS MOST OF HIS PARTY IN THE TOLIETS WITH A MAN!**

_Is this the sort of behaviour our future King should be engaging in? Do we want our sovereign to be a drunken lout? Well, if last night's escapades are anything to go by, this is what we will be getting._

_Prince Arthur Pendragon (18) celebrated his 18__th__ birthday in high class club 'Emrys Noir' in the Soho district of Camelot last night. However, his behaviour was anything from high class. The evening started well, and Arthur arrived at the club with his father, King Uther Pendragon (45) and a few other close family members. They shared a drink, and toasted the young Pendragon. Uther withdrew home not long later, and that's when the madness began._

_First to arrive on the scene, was Lancelot Winter's (19) and most of Arthur's army buddies. Without pause for thought, they threw themselves at the open bar, dragging the crown prince along with them. Within minutes, the group were downing shot after shot of powerful sprits such as vodka and whiskey. Not long after, the typically mild-mannered group of soldiers were screaming, laughing and making a nuisance of themselves. One unnamed witness, claimed their behaviour was more than that of drunken hoodlums, "You could see it in their eyes... they were all on something. Drugs, you know? Even that prince guy, Arthur," This theory was backed up even more so, when minutes after downing his 7__th__ shot of the evening, the young prince disappeared into the men's room, and was not seen or heard from for more than 20 minutes. _

_Princess Morgana (21) and her collage friend Guinevere Smith (19) were next to arrive. Morgana, Arthur's sister by marriage, was clothed in a dress that was more flesh than fabric, and her arrival only riled on men already boozing. The young Princess did nothing to discourage this, and in fact, joined in the drinking herself, and was seen at various times in the night, locking lips with assorted friends of Arthur, including Leon Wrighton (20) and Valiant Fitzgerald (19). Her recent flirtatious behaviour has caused many an argument in the royal household, and it is believed that King Uther plans to send her to live with her grandmother in Africa, if she does not shape up soon (More on that story on page 23). Young Guinevere spent most of the evening trying to maintain Arthur's attention - it is believed that she and the young prince are seeing each other in secret - but tonight Arthur was more than a little distracted and disappeared into the men's room within minutes of Guinevere engaging in a conversation with him. This time however, a young, as yet unnamed, dark haired man followed Arthur into a cubicle. It was more than half an hour later that they emerged, looking far perkier than when they entered. _

_Late to the celebration was party-crashed Nimueh Roberts (34) and a gang of her 'followers' who arrived without invitation just past midnight. The rivalry between the Pendragon family, and the Roberts families is the stuff of legend – dating back to the age where people were tried for witchcraft – and yet tonight, the rivalry seemed all but forgotten. Arthur led his unexpected guest to the bar, and together they downed shot after shot, followed by an array of beautifully coloured cocktails. As they drank, the conversation flowed, the obvious topic of which was the unidentified young man, who was now lurking alone in a dark corner. The young man was clearly not oblivious to the fact that the prince and his acquaintance were talking off him, and soon sauntered over to whisper something in Arthur's ear. The prince, now tremendously intoxicated, followed the young man into the men's room in a fit of unmanageable giggles. Again they departed for more than half an hour. _

_Upon his return to the main part of the club, Arthur and his dark-haired companion drank themselves into an uncontrollable state and were seen dancing, nay, grinding together, for the best part of the night. They seemed completely oblivious to the others around them and together, vanished into the men's room no less than half a dozen times before the sun rose and the party ended. Finally, just past 6am, Prince Arthur – supported by Lancelot – and his dark-haired companion – supported my Morgana – clambered into a waiting limousine, which took them back to Regal House, the home that Arthur shares with his father and Morgana._

_While no official statement concerning Arthur's behaviour has been received from the royal household, it is safe to assume that there is something very not right in the Heir to the thrones life. Be it drugs, homosexuality, or a combination of the two, it is clear, that our future King needs to buck his ideas up, if he every wants to rule successfully. _


	19. Chapter 19

_My Bradley James - One Fateful Night fic has been moved to my livejournal account! Can't link here but its basically__** http://**__ then __**bonevalo. **__then stick in the __**livejournal **__just add __**.com**__ on the end, and hey-ho theres my journal! It should contain all backdated chapters of my fic!_

--

Day 19 – 19(99)

--

"Sire, I have something very important to tell you," Gaius said solemnly as he stood in front of his King. "I have been doing research into what might happen at tonight, midnight, the start of the year 2000, and my results have been most shocking." Uther, who was being dressed in his 'party' outfit, waved his hand, indicating that he should continue. "Sire at midnight, every computer in the Kingdom was fail. Planes will fall from the sky, trains will stop, and any data on any computer will be lost," Uther quickly pushed his manservant away, and turned to Gaius with a grim expression.

"You are certain Gaius?" he asked gravely. Gaius gave a nod.

"Positive sire. I believe the only way to stop this, is to make sure all computers in the Kingdom are destroyed. If not, they I am certain we shall have a major catastrophe on our hands," Uther paused for a second, deep in thought. _Destroy __**every **__computer in Camelot before midnight? Could it be done with only 14 hours to go? _Uther clenched his fist and slammed it down onto the table in front of him.

"Dammit Gaius! Why did you wait so long to tell me?" he demanded.

"There was a lot of data to go though sire, a lot of research to do. I only finished this morning because I stayed up working all night," he said, his voice calm despite the annoyance he felt. Uther sighed, rubbed his eyes with his leather-gloved fingers.

"Alert my son at once. He and his men will ensure the destruction of every computer in the land," he demanded. Gaius bowed and left the Kings chambers.

--

"What!" Arthur spluttered, not able to believe what Gaius had just asked him to do.

"It's true I'm afraid sire, Y2K is real. You must take Merlin and your men into Camelot and destroy all of its computers," Merlin started to laugh.

"Gaius, you told me a year ago that we had nothing to worry about," he said, an eyebrow raised.

"That's what I believed at the time Merlin, but further investigate has suggested otherwise," he said, passing over his final sheets of research to Merlin. Merlin read it quickly, running his eyes over the page as fast as he could. Before he could even finish the page, his jaw had dropped.

"It's true! How Gaius, _how_ are we going to destroy every computer in Camelot!" Gaius shook his head.

"I do not know the answer Merlin, but I am sure between you, Arthur and his men, you can alert everybody in Camelot and make sure they all destroy their computers," Arthur started to laugh.

"Gaius! Seriously... can't we just, I don't know, turn everything off at midnight?" he chuckled. Gaius gave a grim smile.

"If only it was that easy sire," he said. "It is uncertain what will happen when we turn all the computers back on, so we have to destroy them,"

"This is ridiculous Gaius!" Arthur retorted loudly. Merlin shook his head and forced the piece of paper into Arthur's hands.

"Arthur... I'm not sure if this makes sense to you... but it basically shows us that come midnight, all data will be lost, all computers will crash and it is not certain what will happen with them after this!" Merlin cried. "I mean, we could risk making sure all computers are off... Gaius?"

"I guess we could... it would make things a little easier. We can have a test computer, and turn it back on just past midnight. Yes, I suppose that is a better option. I will just have to get your father to cancel all planes, trains and any other mode of public transport controlled by computers," Arthur simply laughed again.

"Ok Gaius... but hey! I bet nothing happens! What do you say? £100?" he said. Merlin rolled his eyes.

"I don't think money will be important, come midnight," he insisted. Arthur laughed again.

"Nonsense Merlin! You agree Gaius? £100 on the outcome of this ridiculous superstition?" Arthur even pulled the cash out of his pocket, and flung it down on the table that stood between himself and Gaius. "Merlin can look after the cash, and give it to the winner."

"What! Wait, I didn't want any part of this..." he protested, but before he could say anymore, Arthur pushed the cash into his hands. Gaius sighed, but he too, pulled a few notes out of his pocket.

"Here Merlin, at least if I'm right, I can treat myself to a nice dinner or something," he said. Merlin simply took the money and pocketed it.

"And if I win... well, I think I'll have myself a sign made that declares that I am always right!" Arthur promised. Merlin held back a giggle as Gaius frowned even more so than normal.

"If you insist sire," he said with a nod. "Now excuse me, I have a lot to deal with before midnight..."

--

Of course, we all know what happened at midnight on New Year 's Eve 1999. Nothing. But don't you wish that something had... just so that for once, Arthur was wrong...

Especially since he went and got that sign made after all.


	20. Chapter 20

Day 20 – 20 years

--

It had been 20 years since Uther had banned magic, after his wife Igraine was so cruelly taken by it. It had been 20 years since Uther had stood, with a newborn Arthur in his arms, in front of Camelot as he announced the ban on the practise of magic's, and brought out the first wave of people to be executed for crimes against the crown. It had been 20 years since he had last been with her, since he had said goodbye, since he had allowed her to flee the Kingdom because he loved her, and because she had given him the heir he so desperately craved. It had been 20 years since he had last held Nimueh in his arms in a post-orgasmic bliss.

Within minutes of Uther announcing the celebration of 20 years without magic, he retired to his room silently, where he collapsed onto his pillow in sobs.

"Uther..." the familiar voice startled Uther, but he couldn't be... could it?

"Nimueh?" he did not dare to look up, for fear that his ears were betraying him. He felt a hand rest in the small of his back.

"Yes my love, it is I," she whispered. Uther turned in an instance, and found himself gazing into the eyes of his long lost love.

"You risk so much in being here!" he cried out, almost angry, but too pleased to see her to be so.

"I would risk everything to see you once again," Nimueh said as she lay down next to Uther. Uther pulled her closer to him, and she rested atop his chest silently.

"Then why did you wait so long?" Uther demanded. Nimueh sighed, and played with the ring on Uther's right middle finger, the ring that she had given him long ago.

"I was scared... but then I had a vision. A young boy by the name of Merlin will arrive in Camelot today. He is the son of a dragonlord and a powerful warlock. He will defend your Kingdom to the death, and will see your son become a great a noble king. But he will be the death of me," Nimueh whispered sadly.

"I will have his head!" Uther yelled, clenching his fist tight.

"No!" Nimueh cried, rubbing Uther's arm softly. "If you kill him, Camelot will fall, you and your son along with it. He is essential to Camelot's future, to Arthur's future,"

"Will he reveal his powers?" Uther questioned, confused. What man would risk his life in such a way?

"When he is ready," Nimueh assured Uther. "But I promise you that he will bring no intentional harm to Camelot. He had Arthur are two sides to one coin. Together they will unite Alboin,"

"Two sides of one coin..? Will they be lovers?" Uther asked.

"Maybe. That is the one thing destiny and legend does not tell us," Nimueh sighed sadly as she cuddled up to Uther.

"Legend does not speak of this," he whispered, placing a kiss on top of her head.

"No, it doesn't, does it..?" Nimueh sighed happily as she leaned up to kiss Uther on the lips...


	21. Chapter 21

Day 21 – 21st

--

Morgana wanted an early night. Tomorrow she would turn 21, she would come of age and would be attending a ceremony that would introduce her to the Kingdom as a Lady for the first time.

"Gwen could you please get me a sleeping tonic from Gaius. I want to make sure that I'm well rested for tomorrow," she asked her handmaid as she plaited her hair so that it would be easier to brush in the morning.

"Of course Morgana, I'll be right back," Gwen said with a small curtsy. Morgana gave her a nervous smile as she departed from the room. Once alone, Morgana sighed and held her head in her hands. To be honest, she didn't want to be a Lady; she just wanted to be _Morgana_. Being a Lady meant she had to attend royal banquets and balls, it meant she had to be 'escorted' to them by Knights, she would have to do all the duties of the royal household normally left for the Queen. Morgana groaned in frustration and threw her hairbrush across the room furiously. She really wanted to just leave and never return... but then she heard footsteps, the light pace normally associated with Gwen. She hurried over to her bed, and adjusted her expression so that Gwen knew that nothing was wrong. "Here you are My Lady," Gwen said as she passed Morgana the small bottle. Morgana took it with a smile and tipped the liquid into her mouth. It tasted foul and she shuddered as it went down her throat. "Gaius wishes you the best of luck for tomorrow," Gwen said as she pulled back the covers on Morgana's bed. Morgana gave a small smile and slipped between the sheets.

"Thank you Gwen, your help is much appreciated," Morgana said as she made herself comfortable. "I am quiet nervous about tomorrow, I hope I can get some sleep," Gwen smiled and tucked the bed sheets around her mistress.

"I'm sure you'll get plenty of rest My Lady, Gaius's sleeping tonics are known to knock people out," Gwen assured Morgana. Morgana smiled and closed her eyes and settled down to sleep.

"That will be all for tonight Gwen, thank you for your help," she mumbled sleepily. "Can you blow out the candle before you go,"

"Of course Morgana. Goodnight, I hope you get a good night's sleep," Gwen said. Morgana heard Gwen blow out the candle and depart from the room, followed by the smell of a burnt out candle. She sighed and rolled over and before she knew it, she was asleep.

_Morgana stood, centre of attention as everyone clapped for her. She blushed and looked embarrassed. Seeming to sense her shame, Uther alerted the singer to begin her performance. Everyone began to dance. Morgana wanted to go and sit down, but Arthur tapped her on the shoulder and held out a hand. Morgana giggled an accepted, and together, they attempted to dance like the others. They failed miserably but laughed and continued anyway. When the singer stopped, Arthur bowed, and reached out for Morgana's hand. He kissed it..._

_A young boy entered Camelot. He was tall and slim with dark hair that was cut just above his ears. He looked happy as he walked round Camelot, bag slung on his back. But then he reached the main square. There a crowd stood, surrounding the executioner's block. Uther stood on the balcony he always stood upon for executions and spoke a few unknown words. A young man was brought out, his head forced down... the axe swung.... and the young boy looked horrified. _

_The young boy with the dark hair was lying on a bed, dying. Gaius and Gwen say by his side. Somewhere else, far away, Arthur was stuck on a cliff in a darkened cave. Something was coming towards him, but he couldn't see a thing. Back with the boy, Gwen was sent away and right after she departed, a glowing orb appeared in his hand. He muttered the same words over and over. And then suddenly she could see Arthur again, and the glowing orb had appeared above him..._

_Arthur was in the banquet hall, surrounded by everyone who was anyone in Camelot and beyond. He was bowed before his King and was wearing all his finery, including a new crown atop his head. Unknown words were spoken, and then Arthur was on his feet and everyone clapped. Then suddenly, through a window, came a Knight, all in black. He threw down his wrist cuff in front of Arthur..._

_Morgana, Gwen, Arthur and the unknown dark haired boy were in a small village. Morgana did not recognise it, but the dark haired boy seemed to know everyone. Including the young boy who seemed to have a problem with the royal visitors..._

_The young boy with the dark hair was standing in some unknown courtyard. Rain was pouring, and in his arms was Gaius. He appeared to be dead. The young boy was screaming... yelling... _

Morgana awoke with a start. It was still dark outside, but inside... inside her candle was lit. She was sure that Gwen had blown it out. She shuddered slightly at the strangeness of her dreams. She wondered what they could mean... but before she would even contemplate their meaning, she was asleep again, the same dreams invading her mind in an instance.

By the next evening, she had forgotten her strange dreams. That is until she found herself dancing dreadfully with Arthur while a woman sung. Neither Arthur nor Morgana seemed to care that they were dancing so badly, in fact, they found the whole thing funny... That is until the singer stopped, as did the dance. That is until Arthur bowed, took her hand, kissed it...

--

_**Can you guys please take the time to do the poll in my profile! It would really help me out! Thanks so much guys, you rock!!! - .net/u/2050765/DrusillaSnaps **_


	22. Chapter 22

Day 22 – 2 little ducks

--

"_Two fat ladies, that's 88" _

"I only have one number left to get!" Merlin cried as he marked off yet another number on his bingo card. He and Arthur were volunteering at the local retirement home. It wasn't something they wanted to do mind, but they needed to look good on their collage applications, and had decided volunteering would put them that one step ahead.

"That's good dear," said Mary, the old woman that Merlin had been paired with. She patted his hand with a smile. "That neckerchief would really suit you," she continued as she nodded at the prize on offer. Arthur threw his pen to the table in anger, in bounced off the wooden surface and wacked him in the face.

"I haven't gotten a single number! This is ridiculous, Merlin, I order you to switch sheets with me!" he demanded as he grabbed the corner of Merlin's bingo sheet. Merlin swatted his hand away.

"Arthur! Leave me alone, I can't hear the numbers..." Arthur rolled his eyes and gave up.

"Don't want to stupid thing anyways," he insisted.

"_Unlucky for some, number 13"_

"Dammit!" Merlin cried. "I need number 22, come on number 22..." Arthur however, was elated.

"I got a number! _In your face!"_ he mocked as he waved his bingo sheet at Merlin. Alan, Arthur's partner, who had fallen asleep in his chair, awoke when Arthur started taunting loudly.

"Waa... what? Bingo?" he asked sleepily, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"Yes Alan, bingo. Don't worry; I'm doing yours for you. You only have 5 numbers to go," Arthur assured the old man as he ticked off the number 13 on his bingo sheet.

"Uh..." Arthur wasn't clear on what Alan had said, as he had fallen asleep mid-word.

"_Dirty Gertie, its number 30"_

"Do I have that one Merlin, my eyes have gone a bit funny?" Mary said as she moved her bingo sheet closer and closer to her eyes. Merlin smiled and took it from her.

"You sure do Mary, here I'll tick it off for you," Merlin ticked it off, all the while trying to ignore Arthur, who was cheering in light of getting another number. "You aren't going to beat me!" Merlin snapped. Arthur laughed and pulled Merlin in for a noogie.

"Aww is Merlin losing?" he asked as Merlin squirmed and fought. Mary grabbed her walking stick, and wacked Arthur in the side with it. "Ow! What was that for?" Arthur asked, trying not to sound too angry. She was a little old woman after all.

"Leave him alone you bully!" she insisted, this time poking Arthur. Arthur let Merlin go.

"_Feel Alive... its 5"_

Merlin rubbed his head and groaned in frustration. Arthur laughed and ticked off another number.

"Don't worry dear, I'm sure 22 will come up soon," said Mary as she ticked off the wrong number. Merlin was tempted to tell her, but he didn't want to ruin her fun. A glance at Arthur showed that the older boy was mocking Mary. Merlin threw his spare pen at Arthur.

"I'm the bully! Me! What about him Mary, he's throwing things at me!" Mary shook her head, and muttered something under her breath that sounded a lot like _'Men!'_

"_Two little ducks... number, 22" _

"BINGO!" Merlin cried out gleefully, leaping to his feet in delight. However, the second Merlin had cried out 'Bingo' everyone in the room, with the exception of himself and Arthur had turned into...

"_Ducks?_ Merlin, you turned everyone into _ducks_? I knew you were cheating..."

"I... wasn't..." Merlin whispered, sounding uncertain. "Not intentionally..." Arthur simply laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Sure Merlin, I believe you," Arthur said. Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I believe that you believe me,"

"Yeah? Well I believe that you believe that I believe you," Merlin hit Arthur round the back of the head. "Ow! What is with you today you evil man!" Arthur asked.

"Shut up Arthur! You need to help me deal with this," Merlin whined.

"I think we should release them into the wild," Arthur joked. Or at least, Merlin thought he was joking... he sounded somewhat serious.

"Arthur! I'm serious, we have to change them back," Arthur sighed but got to his feet nevertheless.

"It'll be easier to just release them into the wild. They'll be happy there, I swear! Pond, free bread, the ability to fly! What more can a bunch of old folks want?"

"Opposable thumbs? The ability to talk perhaps?" Arthur snorted.

"Over-rated!" he insisted.

"I could turn _you_ into a duck if you'd like," Merlin said as he widened his eyes, indicating that he was about to perform a spell.

"Ok ok! I'll drive home and get your book, god Merlin, don't have a fit," Arthur cried, raising his hands in surrender.

"_Be quick," _Merlin said sternly.

"Yes father," Arthur sighed as he slipped out the door.

Arthur retuned an hour later, with Merlin's spell book in hand. Merlin was able to reverse the spell in an instance and the boys acted like nothing had happened.

_One good thing came from all of this however; Arthur was so determined not to be turned into a duck, that he was much nicer to Merlin from that day forward. _

_--_

_**Please take the time to go to my profile page and do the poll! I'll be closing it on Sunday, so get voting!**_

_**I just want to take this chance to tell you guys that you rock! Thank you so much for reading and commenting and such! It means so much to me! Xxxxxx – for you all!**_


	23. Chapter 23

Day 23 – 23 Crossovers!

--

1

"I have a power, I know it!"

Arthur tries to climb up a flat stone fall... and falls off.

"Dammit!"

--

2

"I think it deserves a place in 'sub-cool'

"Arthur, you only like that car because Julian Barret has one..."

--

3

Arthur crawled across the ice slowly, getting closer and closer to the acorn.

The ice cracked, and Arthur fell into the water.

"ARGH!"

--

4

"Why do you wear pyjamas all day Merlin?"

"The knights, the make us..."

--

5

"Arthur, I can hear his voice in my head. Mordred is near!"

"_Don't _say his name!"

--

6

Uther let himself in the front door, spotted Arthur in the kitchen, with his trousers down.

"Arthur?"

A pie dropped to the floor...

--

7

"I'm looking for Arthur Pendragon,"

"He's not home at the moment,"

"I'll be back,"

--

8

"Who... who are you?"

"I'm Gaius, your fairy godfather. You Merlin, shall go to the royal ball,"

--

9

"My name is Bailnor Coffey, like the drink, but spelled different,"

--

10

"Arthur, you and your knights must ride out, and find Mr Santy Claws,"

--

11

"You masturbate more than anyone else on the planet,"

"Tell me something no fucker knows,"

"When you do it, you think about Merlin"

--

12

"Its 106 miles to Camelot We've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes its dark and we're wearing sunglass's,"

"Hit it!"

--

13

"Don't try and fool me no more, Arthur; I know what it means! Merlin Emrys. Merlin Nasty! You didn't go up there to fish!

--

14

Half the people in this room are mad at me, and the other half only like me because they think I am in love with Arthur, so that's not good.

--

15

"Did you ever flashy thing me?"

"No,"

"I ain't playing with you M, did you ever flashy thingy me?"

"No,"

--

16

"What are you doing here, Merlin? You're not even old enough to know how bad life gets."

"Obviously, Doctor, you're not a sorcerer,"

--

17

"Merlin, you're my best friend,"

"And you're mine too Arthur,"

"And we'll always be friends forever, won't we?"

"Yeah, forever,"

--

18

The first rule of Camelot: Cardio. When the sorcerer outbreak first hit, the first to go, for obvious reasons... were the fatties.

--

19

I shall call him Flamie and he shall be mine and he shall be my Flamie. Come on, Flamie Come on, little Flamie.

--

20

"What's happening with them sausages Merlin?"

"Five minute's Arthur,"

"It was two minutes five minutes ago,"

--

21

"Do you Mer-"

"Ah! Oo, oo, oo, oo, ah, ah, ah! Nobody says the "M" word!"

--

22

"You idiot Merlin you glued it on upside down."

"It looks fine to me,"

--

23

"Can we have Merlin for supper?

"Have him to stay for supper, Arthur. We're not cannibals."


	24. Chapter 24

Day 24 – 24 Hours

_**WARNINGS – CHRACTER DEATH, **_**EXTREME**_** DRUG USE, SWEARING AND VOLIENCE! **_

--

_**Hour 1 –12 noon**_

Bad boy rocker, and lead singer of 'Before the Night is Thru' Merlin Emrys awakens after only three hours of much needed slumber. The night before, he and fellow band mates Arthur Pendragon, Leon Phillips and Morgan Le Fay had partied hard after the first gig on their world-wide sell out tour. The others had departed around midnight, and had headed back to their hotel rooms slightly merry. Merlin had stayed on, and had moved from club to club, scoring coke, crack, heroin and any other drug he could get his hands on. Not to mention a colossal army of stripers. Of course, as per usual, Merlin had ended up alone in his hotel room at 8am, stark naked with a bread knife in hand, ready to stab hotel security, who were, in his mind, waiting outside his door for him.

Merlin sat in bed, staring at the blank TV, all the while trying to piece together the previous nights events. When he drew a blank, he grabbed the nearest clothes to him – a pair of red jeans and a Guns'n'Roses t-shirt – gave them a sniff, decided they were clean enough, and pulled them on. He debated whether or not to have a shower... but decided against it. Why wash when you're only going to get dirty again?

_**Hour 2 – 1pm**_

"Merlin!" Arthur was banging on his door, the sound of which vibrated though Merlin's ears giving him an instant headache. "Merlin? Are you in there? We were meant to be at that photo-shoot an hour ago!" Merlin groaned and pulled on his leather jacket – covered in an unknown sticky substance – and made his way to the door. He grabbed a little baggy of coke on his way out, slipped it into a hidden pocket in his sleeve. He would soon need a pick-me-up. Arthur was still pounding on the door when Merlin opened it. "Jesus Merlin, have you slept at all?" Arthur asked when he caught sight of Merlin. The young rocker had dark rings around his blue orbs – said orbs were wide, the pupils dilated. Not only that but he noticed that Merlin was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing the night before... the same clothes he had been wearing for two weeks. So of course, Merlin smelt terrible, but Arthur resisted holding his nose. Any little thing could set Merlin off recently.

"Of course I've slept!" Merlin snapped as he slammed his hotel room door shut. Arthur simply sighed and stepped aside so that Merlin could walk ahead of him.

In the car ride to the studio, Arthur couldn't help but notice as Merlin constantly twitched and jerked, only to then pat his pocket frantically. Only then, would he calm and settle. At least for a few minutes.

_**Hour 3 – 2pm**_

It wasn't until Merlin was alone in the bathroom, in a smelly cramped cubicle, that he realised he had nothing whatsoever to cut his coke with. After a few seconds of panic, he had a great idea. He pulled all the loo paper of the roll, and chucked it aside. Then he ripped apart the tube until he had a straight enough edge to line his coke. He took out his baggy of coke and poured a little onto the toilet seat. He made the neatest line he could muster, and rolled up a £50. He stuck the rolled up note in his left nostril, pushed the other against the middle of his nose, and snorted the line of powder in one swift movement. The rush was instant, and immediately Merlin felt more awake and alert. With a small smile, he wiped his nose and stashed the baggy behind the toilet. He knew Arthur was likely to search him after he came out. Finally, he took one last look in the mirror for signs of his cocaine use, and then slipped out of the bathroom as if nothing had happened.

"Merlin, have you been at the coke again?" Arthur asked the second the door had swung shut. He wanted to yell, to rant and rave. But he knew that he had to stay calm and cool around Merlin, lest he kicked off and walked out.

"I had a few lines last night, it was no big deal," Merlin said with a shrug. "Now come on, let's get this photo-shoot out of the way. I wanna go shopping before we have to go to the venue," Arthur sighed, rubbed between his eyes. Shopping in Merlin terms, meant scoring drugs.

"Merlin, you can't keep this up mate," Arthur said. Merlin simply laughed.

"I have it under control, really," he promised, sauntering off to the backdrop as he did so.

If it hadn't been for the photographer saying so, neither Leon nor Morgan would have stood next to Merlin. While they both knew he was on drugs, and fast in his way to a train-wreck, they preferred to stay out of it. They had, once upon a time, tried to help Merlin, but had long since given up when he became obvious that Merlin didn't want help.

Merlin disappeared into the bathroom numerous times over the next half-hour and when the pictures developed, Merlin's eyes were notably glazed over. The photographer was prepared to bet that he had coasted his way through that shoot...

_**Hour 4 – 3pm**_

Merlin did indeed go 'shopping' after the shoot. Arthur had said he'd go with Merlin, but the singer had slipped out of the door and into a cab before anyone was any the wiser. Merlin managed to score himself a gram of pure china white heroin, and he raced to the nearest bathroom to shoot up. The rush was instant, and Merlin was soon soaring. But then the madness hit, and Merlin could hear people outside the stall. They whispered and taunted and banged on the door. Police, Scotland Yard, The FBI, The Mafia... they were all out there, and they were all after him! Panicked, Merlin flushed his stash, and then huddled up on top of the toilet seat until he came down

It was then that he realised that he was alone in the bathroom, and that no one was trying to get him. And that he flushed his drugs... again.

_**Hour 5 – 4pm**_

Back in his hotel room, Merlin sat channel flicking. He was very annoyed with himself. He'd never learn that he should never buy his drugs in large amounts... he always ended up flushing them!

Reruns, reruns, reruns... that was all that was on. Merlin eventually settled on watching a True Blood marathon. It had been his favourite show, once upon a time, but lately he just hadn't had the concentration for it.

Especially when he was waiting for his dealer to call him back.

_**Hour 6 – 5pm **_

The Limo that was taking Merlin to the Venue arrived just past 5pm. Merlin was glad to see it, as his dealer's supplies had run out and he hadn't gotten hold of any drugs. His Limo driver however, always had something stashed away.

"It's not the best, but it'll get the job done," the driver had said as he slipped Merlin a fresh needle, which was already full of heroin. Merlin accepted it with a grin and immediately found a vein in which he could inject in. It took a while; most of his veins had collapsed due the sheer amount of drugs he was injecting. In the end he found a vein in his foot. The hit was instant, and Merlin found that he stayed somewhat grounded, yet he still felt high.

"Dude, what is this stuff..." he asked dreamily as he lazed around in the back seat, head drooping. The driver laughed.

"I have no idea mate, someone gave it to me free of charge," he chuckled as he caught sight of Merlin in his rear-view mirror. "Good I take it?" Merlin giggled.

"It's alright... it doesn't get me high enough for the insanity to hit, but yet I'm still flying,"

The rest of the Limo ride was a blur of dizzying colours and noise's to Merlin.

_**Hour 7 – 6pm**_

Merlin gets his driver to stop at a pub on their way to the venue. He needs something to even him out, and a few shots of Jack and a few lines of coke later, he feels normal enough to make sound-check.

Turns out he missed sound-check while in a drug and drink fuelled haze. Arthur was not best pleased with him.

"Merlin! Where the hell have you been? You missed sound-check, again!" Arthur was in no mood to control his temper this time, and quite frankly, he didn't care. "You need to get yourself fucking sorted mate, you can't keep doing this!"

"Arthur, really, I'm fine... just like, relax," Merlin said in a far off voice. He wasn't very coherent. "Ok, I missed sound-check. Dude, I'm sorry... me and the driver, we stopped for a little drinky... won't happen again. I swear,"

"I'll have him fired if you're not careful," Arthur promised.

"Fuck me mate, it's got nothing to do with him," Merlin said, enraged all of a sudden. "Leave him out of it,"

"Then you leave him out of it!" Arthur cried. He sighed, and rubbed between his eyes to calm himself. "Mer, you're wasting away. You've lost loads of weight, I can't remember the last time you washed or changed your clothes and you are yet to write a song for the new album. It's not at all like you. You need help mate,"

"Arthur, I said I'm fine, okay?" he grumbled as he attempted to push past Arthur to get to his dressing room.

"No, you aren't leaving my sight until we go on," Arthur said, grabbing Merlin's arm tight.

"Get_ off_ me!" Merlin growled. Arthur didn't budge. "I mean it Arthur, let me the fuck go!" When Arthur didn't, Merlin spat in his face. Arthur let go, out of shock more than anything, and swore to himself as Merlin stormed out of the room.

_**Hour 8 – 7pm**_

Not wanting to risk another argument with Arthur, Merlin watched the support act, a small local band called 'Incompletely fawn' they were a good band, and Merlin liked them, but his bands fan's were stubborn and pig-headed and barely gave the band a chance. All Merlin could think off during their set, was the baggy of coke he had shoved down his sock. He didn't dare move... he had a feeling that Arthur had been having words with Gaius, their manger and knew that he was probably being watched.

_**Hour 9 – 8pm**_

Merlin had half an hour to kill before he and the others went on stage. He really, _really_ wanted to do his blow, but was certain that he was still being watched, so instead he disappeared to the bar.

"I'll have a jack and coke... make it a triple," he said to the young man behind the bar. The barman shook his head.

"Sorry mate, been told I can't give you anything," he said, backing up a little so that he was out of arms reach.

"What the fuck?" Merlin yelled. "Give me a fucking drink! How much do you want for it? I'll give you whatever you want!" Merlin promised. He then proceeded to pull a load of note's out of his pockets. "How much for a drink then? £20... no? How's about £40? £60? £100? More?" When the barman said nothing. Merlin threw the notes – totally more than £200 at him. "There, take it! Just give me a shot, one little shot of jack!" Merlin was pleading now, desperate.

"Sir, your manager..."

"Screw my manager, he's an old fool and a fucking clotpole!" Merlin screamed. The now shaking barman poured him a shot of Jack Daniels, and passed it over without a word. "Cheers," Merlin said with a smile as he downed the shot.

"_Merlin! On stage, now!" _The band's tour manger, Gwen yelled. Merlin raised his eyebrows, and rolled his eyes, but followed her to the stage nevertheless.

_**Hour 10 – 9pm**_

The crowd was cheering, the lights were flashing and the band was rocking. Merlin was somehow getting through the performance. At least that's what it appeared like to those who did not know him. Whenever he disappeared for a 'cigarette' he was actually nipping into the bathroom for a line of cocaine. Whenever he started talking to the crowd – it meant he had forgotten his lines. Whenever he giggled, he did it because he was high and had no control over it and the bottle of water that he had at the side of the stage, was in fact, a bottle of straight vodka.

_**Hour 11 – 10pm**_

Merlin stumbled off stage, and into the arms of an awaiting horde of groupies. There was a time that he, Arthur and Leon would drag a whole horde of these girls into their dressing rooms, and would then proceed to do a shit load of drugs all while doing a shitload of girls. Now Arthur was married to Gwen, their tour manager, Leon was married to Morgana, AKA Morgan Le Fay and Merlin was left to go about his rock star ways alone.

Of course, within 20 minutes of Merlin and the girls going into the dressing room, they would all emerge barely dressed, blushing and cursing, for Merlin's heroin induced paranoia would kick in, and he'd be convinced the girls were out to get him. Arthur and the others had lost count of the amount of girls that had sold stories of drug-fuelled romps and paranoid behaviour to the national newspapers.

Let's just say, the stories weren't worth that much anymore...

_**Hour 12 – 11pm**_

Merlin emerged from his dressing room not long after the groupies stormed out. His nose was bloody and red. His eyes were frantic and unfocussed, and his arms were bleeding, where he'd obviously stabbed himself with a needle again and again in an attempt to find a suitable vein to inject in.

"So..." he said, voice shaking, body swaying. "Pub?"

"Merlin, you need to go home mate," Arthur said as he patted his friend on the shoulder. Merlin swayed even more so under Arthur's touch. He looked so fragile, like he might break into a million pieces.

"Arthur..." Merlin mumbled. "I want to _do _something," he said after taking a few deep breathes.

"I don't think you're capable of doing anything you idiot," Arthur said, almost kindly – he was too shocked by Merlin's condition to be completely affectionate.

"I just need a drink!" Merlin insisted as he turned in the direction of the bar – and fell into the wall.

"Merlin I'm taking you back to the hotel," Arthur said as he wrapped an arm around Merlin's shoulder and pulled him to his feet.

"I... what... ok..." Merlin muttered. Arthur managed to get Merlin back to his hotel room without incident. Merlin immediately passed out on the bed, and Arthur stole everything from his mini-bar, disconnected his room phone, and took his mobile phone and his room key.

But what he didn't prepare for was Merlin's dealer turning up at the door ten minutes after he left.

_**Hour 13 – Midnight**_

Merlin was buzzing, his eyes were wide and he was full of energy. And paranoia. He was sat in the bathroom of his hotel room, knife in hand, just _watching_ the door.

"I know they're fucking out there... coming to get me fucking security," he whispered so softly, he didn't even hear himself. "Just you wait, you come in here, and I'll stab you up good..." Merlin stabbed and slashed an invisible, unknown person. "Yeah I got ya, fucking stalker... " Merlin backed right into the corner of the bathroom, and held out his knife in defence. "What was that?" he whispered, jumping at some nonexistent noise. "You're spying on me, aren't you... knew this hotel was full of spies! Now where the hell are the cameras and the mics... maybe they can hear me right now... better shut up and find the cameras," Merlin jumped to his feet, and pressed his ear against the wall, knocked it to see if it was hollow. "Not here... maybe there... yes... there," Merlin moved to the sink, and peered down the plughole. "No... not here... but maybe just encase..." he turned the water on, and watched it whirl away down the drain. "Yes.... got them... but maybe..." he turned off the tap, and put the plug in. He repeated the same bizarre actions with the bath. "Still not safe... not found them... listening!" Merlin started to tap and bang on the other walls of the room. "No... not hollow, not here...."

_**Hour 14 – 1am**_

Merlin had moved into the living area of his hotel room, after deciding that the bathroom was void of any camera's or recording devices.

"In the phone... yes... I can call them.... with the phone and they... they can hear what I am doing... what if... even now? Without the receiver... being off?" Merlin poked the phone with the very tip of his longest finger, but it remained still. He reached out, and snatched the handset off in one swift movement. He pulled it to his ear, and listened intently. All was silent. "You're there.... I know it.... I'll sue...." Still, he heard nothing. "Ok... fine.... you have it your way... know you're there... watching.... coming to get me!" And with that, Merlin ripped the phone from the wall. He was surprised that it came away so easily, as he had no noticed Arthur unplugging it earlier in the evening. He laughed manically. "Can't hear me now!" he taunted, while pointing and sneering at the wrecked phone. Satisfied that he was safe – for now – Merlin pulled out a baggy of coke, and made himself a few long, fat lines. The hit was instant and Merlin's head was soon spinning, yet that did not stop him from doing line after line...

_**Hour 15 – 2am**_

"I'm on the tenth floor... but you are there,_ there_... outside my window... you and your Mexican friends..." Merlin muttered. He was sat in front of his wall wide, floor to ceiling sized window. Sat is probably the wrong word to use, he was laying on the floor, under his duvet, knife at the ready... "I can see you little Mexican people.... floating... flying... whatever you are doing... I'm not letting you in... I know your here to get me... to take me away and lock me in a rubber room..." Merlin waved his knife about again, the blade glittered in the reflection of the window. "You have knife's!" Merlin cried out as he leapt to his feet. He closed the curtains quickly. "Can't see me... can't see me..." he muttered. He then proceeded to run round the room, turning off every light, everything that emitted light. He grabbed towels and blocked up the bottom of his hotel room door. He was plunged into darkness. "Can't see me... can't hear me..." he muttered as he sat down on the floor, rocked back and forth with the knife in his hands.

_**Hour 16 – 3am**_

Merlin was still sitting in the dark, rocking back and forth when the knock on his door came.

"Sir? Sir? There have been reports of some strange noises coming from this room," Came an important sounding voice. Merlin didn't answer. "Sir? Are you alright? Do I have to come in?" Merlin jumped when the voice said this... _come in_? They could do that? After everything he'd done to make sure they couldn't see him or couldn't hear him it turns out all they had to do was get a spare key card and open the door. Panicked, Merlin ripped the towels from the bottom of the door.

"Go away!" he demanded through the crack. "I know... you're here to spy on me....go away or I'll get you!" He could see, though his limited vision under the crack that the person on the other side of the door had kneeled down to peer under the crack too. Merlin tightened his grip on his knife.

"Sir? Are you sure you are okay? You do not seem well at all," Merlin growled slightly. How dare the person on the other side of the door just demand answers of him!

"Fuck off you fucking Nazi!" Merlin screamed. "You won't take me alive!" Before the person on the other side of the door had time to respond, Merlin had shoved the blade of his knife under the door, and had begun to move it about frantically. After a second or two, he heard the person on the other side of the door run. "Yeah...run... you won't spy on me... run..."

Merlin drank a few shots of jack, so that he would be 'normal' enough to go to the front desk to complain about the unknown voice on the other side of his door, only to be told that _no one_ had come to his door...

_**Hour 17 – 4am**_

Merlin decided that it was time for him to go to bed. His paranoia had once again gone into over-drive and if he wasn't careful, he would end up hurting himself... or someone else. He searched every pocket, every bag and box he had until he found his stash of valium. He popped a few, crawled beneath the covers and tried desperately to fall asleep. For half an hour, maybe more, he tossed and turned and tried in vain to get to sleep. In the end, he grabbed the bottle of pills again. He went to swallow a few more, but then he spotted a bottle of Nyhtol tucked away in his bag. He grabbed it, downed it all, and was asleep within two minute's

_**Hours 18 – 21, 5am – 8am**_

Merlin lay dead to the world, curled up a ball in the corner of his bed, covers kicked off, and pillow disregarded.

_**Hour 22 - 9am**_

Merlin's phone was ringing. Ringing and ringing and ringing... He groaned and felt around for it, slightly annoyed. _Today was his day off! Who the fuck was calling him this early!_

"Merlin?" It was the voice of Jimmy, Merlin's dealer. "Merlin you there? Look mate, if you are, then listen up. I've got a fucking shit load of heroin... it's like nothing I've ever seen before. My connection reckons it is the best fucking high you will ever get, and he reckons you never become used to it!"

"Jimmy! Mate... you'll have to come here." Merlin mumbled sleepily as he pulled his pillow to him and snuggled up to it.

"Are you sure that's safe mate? I heard your mangers been lurking," Jimmy sounded nervous, tense... high.

"Nah, he doesn't watch me at the hotel.... just when I'm at the shows and shit... come over mate, room 1019," Merlin could feel his eyes slipping closed again, and tried desperately to end the conversation. "Look, I've had a whole bottle of Nyhtol... I have to go before I pass out..." He hung up the phone before Jimmy had a chance to reply, switched off his phone, and crashed again.

_**Hour 23 – 10am**_

Merlin awoke to a banging – a thundering – on his hotel room door. Somehow he managed to drag himself out of bed to answer it. It was Jimmy.

"'I've been knocking for age's Merlin... geez you really did drink a whole bottle of Nyhtol didn't you?" he questioned as he pushed his way into the room, without invitation. Merlin nodded sleepily and shut the door, before joining Jimmy on the bed.

"You're gonna have to sort that out for me Jim... I can't even keep my head up," Merlin said, and as if to prove his point, he leaned against the headboard and fell asleep.

"Merlin! Come on mate, wake up... it'll only be a few minutes before this shit hits, and they you'll be fucking _buzzed_!" Merlin nodded, but did not open his eyes or say anything. "Right, Okay, I'll only be a minute mate," Jimmy said.

The next thing Merlin was aware of was a small sting in his left forearm. For a second, just a second, he was flying. Flying higher than ever before. He was zooming up, through the clouds, past the planes, into space and... then darkness. Just darkness and nothing more, not even a sound, nor a feeling. Nothing.

--

Merlin turned blue on the spot. His lips paled, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he started twitching, violently at first, but calmer and calmer until...

"Merlin? Merlin fucking talk to me mate." Jimmy grabbed Merlin the second he fell still, and started to shake him . Merlin didn't respond, didn't move. His limp body simply flopped around in Jimmy's grasp. "Shit! Shit! Fuck Merlin, wake up!" Jimmy slapped Merlin. Once. Twice. A third time. Merlin didn't respond at all, his cheek didn't even turn pink, despite the intensity of Jimmy's blows. "Fuck! _Fuck..." _Jimmy grabbed Merlin and dragged him into the bathroom. He stuck his head straight under the shower and turned it on full blast. Nothing happened, and Jimmy finally had the sense to feel for a pulse. Merlin had none. "Shit... SHIT!" He screamed. Jimmy didn't know what to do. He didn't want Merlin to go and die on him, but he knew if he called for help, he'd be screwed. In the end he called for an ambulance and fled the room, leaving Merlin in the shower, the water running...

_**The Final hour – 11am**_

"_21 year old male, suspected heroin overdose. Not breathing, weak pulse, starting CPR at once..."_ the room was flooded with paramedics, police, hotel workers... All of them were trying to make sense of the scene, and none could come to a reasonable conclusion.

"_Get him strapped on...he needs to get to the hospital..."_ And then all in a rush, Merlin was on a stretcher, which was lifted up and taken out of the room. The hotel manger looked frantic, embarrassed, the police started to examine the scene, look for witness's... the paramedics tried frantically to bring Merlin round.

The ambulance door shut and it speed off at once. The paramedics grabbed the defibrillator, and turned them on, bringing them down to Merlin's chest again and again. _"Clear!"_ Merlin's body jolted, his heart rate stayed flat. Again. _"Clear!"_ Merlin's body jolted, his heart rate stayed flat. Again. _"Clear!"_ Merlin's body jolted... and his heart started again, weak, distant beats, but beats...

"_Get him hooked up to that IV..."_ Shouts, yells and then Merlin was surrounded. He was hooked up to a machine, and another, then another... Then it rang out, the sound of Merlin flat-lining.

"_He's crashing!"_ Out again came the defibrillator, again _"Clear!"_ Merlin's body jolted, his heart rate stayed flat. Again. And then again. _"Come on!" _And then a doctor was on him, pumping his chest, giving him mouth to mouth. _"Breath!"_ A crack... one of his ribs was broken. His heart rate was still flat. "Come on!" More mouth to mouth, more chest pumping... still no heart rate.

"_Dr. Simmons, it's too late, we've lost him..."_ Said doctor stopped with a sigh, he had tears in his eyes...

"_Call it,"_

"_Time off death... 11.59pm..."_

And then a sheet was pulled over his head.


	25. Chapter 25

Day 25 – Christmas

--

"Arthur..." Merlin was shaking Arthur softly, in an attempt to drag him from his peaceful slumber. Arthur mumbled something inaudible and pulled his pillow over his head. "Arthur, wake up!" Merlin shook Arthur a little harder this time, pulled back the covers – exposing Arthur to the cold night air. Arthur groaned.

"Merlin! Are you an idiot? I'll catch a bloody cold! Put the covers over me!" Arthur demanded, not even bothering to remove the pillow from his head. Merlin laughed.

"No way Arthur, you have to _get up_!" Merlin cried merrily. Arthur groaned again, but threw the pillow to one side and turned over, so that he was laying on his back. He gave Merlin the smallest of smiles – a slight twitch of the corners of his mouth – and then gave Merlin his most evil of glares. Arthur hated being awoken in the middle of the night! He could never get back to sleep.

"Merlin... what time is it?" Arthur asked with a yawn. Merlin shrugged his shoulders and then looked at his watch for fear of what Arthur might do to him.

"Just gone 12," he said. Not really late of course, but Arthur had to up at 6am in order to get to his father's on time for Christmas lunch. And he didn't work well on little sleep! Merlin was going too... but he was going to sleep in the car. Bastard.

"Did you wake me up just to tell me it's Christmas?" Arthur growled as he launched his pillow at Merlin.

"Ow!" Merlin cried, catching the impact of the throw in his face. He tossed the pillow aside. "No silly, come with me!" he said as he held out his hand. Arthur grumbled wordlessly, but took Merlin's hand nevertheless. "Put your dressing gown and slippers on!" Merlin said as he dragged a boxer clad Arthur up and out of bed.

"As you wish _mother_!" Arthur taunted as he pulled on his fuzzy white dressing gown and affectionately named 'granddad slippers'. "Now what did you want?" he asked as he took Merlin's hand again. Merlin grinned and dragged Arthur over to their balcony door, which was curtained off.

"Ready?" Merlin asked. Arthur nodded sleepily as he yawned yet again. "Look" Merlin cried as he pulled up the curtains. Arthur looked out or a few seconds, completely confused. Everything looked normal, if a little white...

White...

"Snow?" Arthur cried as he raced to the window and pressed his face against it. Outside the snow was falling in blizzard like proportions, coming down thick and fast, covering in an instance, everything it touched.

"Snow... a white Christmas, just like you've always wanted," Merlin said as he slipped an arm around Arthur's waist.

"I knew there was a reason we moved to Scotland!" Arthur beamed as he watched the snowflakes flutter and fall in the light breeze. "Looks like we won't be going to see my father after all," he said with a sigh.

"Oh well... snowball fight? Race you outside!" Merlin cried, running off with a giggle and a cheeky grin.

"Hey.... I'M NOT EVEN DRESSED!"

--

_**And so we draw to a close, Christmas for another year! Thank you all so very much for reading and reviewing over the last few weeks! It all really helped beat the usual pre-Christmas doom and gloom. Here's hoping you all had an amazing Christmas and received all that you wanted and then some!**_

_**I love you all so much, you guys rock! Thanks for reading! Thanks for reviewing! **_

_**Hayley xxxxxxxxx**_


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